Official, cop rob woman at TIA

KATHMANDU, DEC 18 - In a classic case of guardians of the law turning lawbreakers, an official at the Tribhuvan International Airport and a police constable robbed a woman returning from Saudi Arabia four weeks ago.

Sita Rai (name changed) on Sunday filed a complaint at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) against the duo and said the she was sexually abused and robbed of 9,500 riyal (around Rs 218,000).

The woman from Bhojpur has named constable Parshu Ram Basnet and senior non-gazetted officer at the Department of Immigrations at the TIA , Somnath Khanal, in her complaint.

While police on Sunday arrested Basnet and is at the Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka, presently, Khanal is at large.

Spokesperson at the police range DSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh said Basnet told the police that Khanal fled with the money.

Rai, who had gone to Saudi Arabia via India, landed at the TIA on the night of November 21. She was carrying a fake passport in the name of Bimala KC, Rai admitted in her complaint.

The official and the policeman at the TIA seized her belongings and travel documents on the pretext of a 'regular check,' Rai said.

According to her, Basnet then took her to the New Bus Park to drop her. She was, however, forced to spend a night with him at a local guest house, she said.

"He paid all the bills at the guest house and bought a bus ticket to Bhojpur for me and left," Rai says in her complaint. She realised only later that the official s actually stole her money. "He paid for everything to make sure that I didn't reach for my purse," she says.

MoHA Secretary Navin Kumar Ghimire has formed a panel led by joint secretary Bhola Siwakoti to look into the case.

"I received the complaint today and talked with the victim. We are not in a position to comment until the probe panel prepares the report," Ghimire said.

अध्यागमनका भ्रष्टलाई जोगाउने खेल

के डेढ लाखमा बलात्कार गर्न पाइन्छ ?

साउदी अरबबाट मंसिर ३ गते स्वदेश फर्कंदा त्रिभुवन अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थलमा अर्कैको पासपोर्टमा राई विदेश गएको खुलेको थियो। उक्त कमजोरीको फाइदा उठाउँदै प्रहरी र अध्यागमन कर्मचारीले राईले कमाएर ल्याएको पैसा र इज्जत लुटेका थिए। घटना सार्वजनिक भएपछि बिहीबार सरकारले पीडितलाई राहतस्वरुप १ लाख ५० हजार रुपैयाँ दिने निर्णय गरेको थियो। 
प्रदर्शनकारीका अनुसार बलात्कारमा संलग्न प्रहरी जवान पर्शुराम बस्नेत र लुटपाटमा संलग्न अध्यागमनका नायब सुब्बा सोमनाथ खनालमाथि सरकारले फौजदारी अभियोगमा मुद्दा दर्ता गर्नसमेत आनाकानी गरिरहेको छ। 
'पैसा लुटी बलात्कार गरेको' समाचार सार्वजनिक भएको लामो समय बिते पनि दोषीलाई कारबाही नगरेको र घटनामा सरकार पूरै उदासीन रहेको भन्दै प्रधानमन्त्रीमातहत रहेको महिला सशक्तीकरण समन्वय समितिको सल्लाहकारबाट आरजु देउवाले बिहीबार नै राजीनामा दिएकी थिइन्। त्यही दिन सरकारले पीडितलाई राहत रकम दिने निर्णय गरे पनि दोषीलाई कारबाही अघि नबढाइएपछि प्रदर्शनकारी स्वतस्फूर्त सडकमा उत्रिएका हुन्।
'राज्यले दोषीलाई विभागीय कारबाही गरेरमात्र उन्मुक्ति दिइरहेको छ। जघन्य अपराध पुष्टि भइसक्दा पनि सरकारले फौजदारी अभियोगमा मुद्दा चलाएको छैन,' अधिकाकर्मी रेणु राजभण्डारीले भनिन्, 'कानुनअनुसार कारबाही हुनुपर्छ, विभागीय कारबाहीले मात्र हुँदैन।' 
बिनाआयोजक गरिएको 'स्वतन्त्र नागरिक अभियान' ले बाँडेको पर्चाअनुसार पीडित राईलाई प्रहरी हवल्दार बस्नेतले गेस्ट हाउसमा लगेर बलात्कार गरेको तथा सुब्बा खनालले उनले ल्याएको २ लाख १८ हजार त्यहीबेला लुटेर रित्तो हात फर्काइदिएको उल्लेख छ। बस्नेतले घर पुर्या इदिन्छु भन्दै झुक्याएर गेस्ट हाउस लगेर बलात्कार गरेको र खनालले पैसा लुटेको पीडित युवतीको भनाइ छ। उनले थापाथली प्रसूतिगृहमा जचाउँदा आफू गर्भवती भएको रिपोर्ट आएको' समेत सार्वजनिक गरिसकेकी छन्। 
'दोषीलाई कारबाहीको सट्टा राहतमात्र दिने काम गरेर सरकारले बलात्कारको मूल्य तोक्ने काम गरेको छ,' धर्नामा सहभागी त्रिचन्द्र कलेजकी विद्यार्थी रमिला श्रेष्ठले नागरिकसँग भनिन्, 'हामी कसैमाथि गरिएको बलात्कारको मूल्य सरकारबाट खोजिरहेका छैनौं, हामी दोषीलाई कारबाही भएको हेर्न चाहन्छौं।' 
प्रधानमन्त्री बाबुराम भट्टराईले महिलामाथि पछिल्ला दिनमा भएको हिंसाले आफूलाई चिन्तित बनाएको भन्दै कारबाही गर्ने प्रतिबद्धता जनाए। 'तर ठूलै दबाब नदिईकन दोषीलाई कारबाही गर्नुहुन्छ भन्ने हामीलाई विश्वास लागेको छैन,' अभियानमा सहभागी अर्पण श्रेष्ठले भने। उनका अनुसार महिला हिंसाविरुद्ध र न्यायको पक्षमा बालुवाटारमा 'क्यान्डल लाइट' प्रदर्शन गरिएको छ। 
शुक्रबारदेखि सुरु भएको धर्नामा सञ्चारकर्मी नारायण वाग्ले, मिस नेपाल सदीक्षा श्रेष्ठ, कराँते खेलाडी दीपक विष्ट, कलाकार नम्रता श्रेष्ठ र कर्मा, पर्यटन व्यवसायी प्रचण्डमान श्रेष्ठ, अधिकारकर्मी मन्दिरा त्रिपाठी, लीली थापा, बन्दना राणा, अधिवक्ता रमण श्रेष्ठलगायत ऐक्यबद्धता जनाउन बालुवाटार पुगेका थिए।
धर्नाकारीले अनामनगरस्थित कृष्ण प्रसार्इंको घरमा 'रहस्यमय मृत्यु' भएकी सरस्वती सुवेदी, गत असार १६ देखि हराइरहेकी छोरीमैंया महर्जन, जलाएर मारिएकी नेपालगन्जकी हासमी र बाराकी एक बालिकालाई पनि न्याय दिनुपर्ने र दोषीलाई कारबाही गर्नुपर्ने माग गरे। 'दण्डहीनताभन्दा पनि दण्डहीनताको पक्षमा उभिने सरकारदेखि डर लागेको छ,' अधिकारकर्मी त्रिपाठीले भनिन्, 'जबसम्म पीडितले न्याय पाउने सुनिश्चित हँुदैन, बालुवाटारमा धर्ना जारी रहन्छ।'

Woman Robbed at TIA: Home Ministry snubs independent panel report

KATHMANDU, FEB 06 - In yet another move seemingly aimed at protecting top immigration officials involved in the November 2012 robbery of Sita Rai at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), the Home Ministry has bypassed a report prepared by a high-level monitoring committee that has recommended legal action against the accused.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has ignored the report prepared by the committee led by the Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Raju Man Singh Malla, which recommends forwarding the case to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), according to sources.

The report implicates the then Director General (DG) of the Department of Immigration Suresh Adhikari and Director Lekh Raj Pokhrel. Ignoring Malla's report, the MoHA has instead forwarded its own report to the CIAA.

"The Home Ministry's own report makes no sense. The ministry should respect the independent report and suspend the top officials, just like the two section officers whom its probe panelfound guilty," a source at the Home Ministry told the Post on Tuesday.

Malla's committee had submitted the report to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on January 17. According to the PMO, it sent the report to the MoHA the day it was released, asking it to punish the two officers as per the laws. The ministry, which has the authority to suspend the officials and clear the way for further investigations, has not even stopped the accused from attending office.

The MoHA report, released by its joint-secretary-led investigation panel on December 24, had shown involvement of two section officers, a senior non-gazetted officer and a police constable in the robbery, but failed to establish the DG and the director's connection. The two section officers--Tika Pokherel and Ram Prasad Koirala--were suspended, although they too have not been arrested.

PMO Secretary Malla said they forwarded the report to the CIAA themselves. "We will monitor the progress in the case. Since the legal process has to take its own course, it might have taken some time," said Malla.

Responding to questions on the line ministry's failure to suspend the top officials, Malla said their role in the robbery was not as "severe" as that of their deputies.

Home Secretary Navin Ghimire also said the ministry is committed to punish the guilty in the case. The case is making headway and has been handed over to the CIAA, he said.

CIAA Spokesperson Krishna Dhungana said they are still looking into the matter and refused to comment further.

Sita Rai (name changed), 20, of Bhojpur, was robbed by immigration officials at the TIA on November 21 while she returned from Saudi Arabia. On December 16, she filed a case at the Home Ministry, stating that she was robbed of Rs 218,000 and subsequently raped by a police constable. Constable Basnet is facing trial in the Kathmandu District Court on rape charges. Officials took advantage of Rai after she was found to be travelling with a fake passport. The agent who sent Rai abroad has been arrested.

Following outrage, PM Bhattarai had publicly apologised to the victim for the heinous crime and expressed commitment to punish the culprits.

Posted on: 2013-02-06 04:00 

सीता राई बलात्कार र ठगी प्रकरणः दुईलाई सफाई, दुईलाई जेल सजाय

६ पुस, काठमाण्डौ । साउदी अरबबाट फर्किएकी भोजपुरकी युवती सीता राईलाई बलात्कार र ठगी गरेको अभियोगमा दुई जनालाई काठमाण्डौं जिल्ला अदालतले जेल सजाय सुनाएको छ ।

न्यायाधीश मोहम्मद जुनेद अजादको एकल इजलासले बिहीवार अध्यागमनका नायव सुब्बा सोमनाथ खनाल र प्रहरी जवान परशुराम बस्नेतलाई जनही ५ हजार रुपैयाँ जरिवाना र एक बर्ष कैद हुने फैसला सुनाएको हो ।

तर, सोही अभियोगमा मुद्दा खेपिरहेका अध्यागमनका अधिकृतहरु रामप्रसाद कोइराला र टीकाराम पोखरेललाई भने अदालतले सफाई दिएको छ ।

नक्कली पासपोर्टमा साउदीमा चार बर्ष बिताएर एक बर्षअघि नेपाल फर्किएकी राईलाई अध्यागमन अधिकारीहरुले कारवाही हुने भन्दै धम्क्याएर २ लाख १८ हजार रुपैयाँ लुटेका थिए । त्यसपछि प्रहरी जवान वस्नेतले वालाजुस्थित गेष्टहाउसमा लगेर बलात्कार गरेका थिए ।

बस्नेतको छुट्टै मुद्दामा यसअघि नै जिल्ला अदालतले ५ बर्ष कैद र ५० हजार रुपैयाँ जरिवाना फैसला गरिसकेको थियो । अख्तियार दुरुपयोग अनुसन्धान आयोगले पनि अध्यागमन अधिकारीहरुबिरुद्ध बेग्लै मुद्दा दायर गरेको थियो ।

http://www.onlinekhabar.com/2013/12/147104/