KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has submitted a 120-page inquiry report to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) regarding a case of holding a minor against her will. The NHRC decided to take upon this case under its discretionary power after the government did not opt to press charges.

A team that included KMC’s Child Welfare Officer handed over the report to NHRC Secretary Murari Prasad Kharel at the commission’s central office in Pulchowk. The commission had specifically requested the documents from KMC to examine the case further.

Kharel stressed throughout the review that the state should not use its authority to justify abuses of human rights. To ensure that justice is served, he pledged that the NHRC would conduct an unbiased and thorough investigation.

The case involves a Lumbini Province parliament member, Rekha Kumari Sharma. She is charged with illegally detaining a minor while working at home. the NHRC intervened when the state did not prosecute Sharma.

Given the immediacy and gravity of the situation, KMC prepared and submitted the report in three days in response to the NHRC's request. Before taking any further action, the panel will now examine the results.

Concerns were voiced by KMC Mayor's Secretariat member Dhiraj Joshi regarding Attorney General Ramesh Badal's role in the issue. He argued that the government's decision to drop charges was motivated by a conflict of interest.

Joshi emphasized that Badal had previously represented MP Sharma in court before taking on his current position. His involvement in the case has now brought up significant ethical issues for him as Attorney General.

Furthermore, he contended that the case was dismissed since the individual who previously served as Sharma's attorney now has the authority to determine whether to prosecute her. The hottest calls for accountability and dispute have condensed into this situation. 

The Kathmandu and Patan government attorney's offices decided not to file the case. Subsequently, there was public outrage and calls for transparency in the legal process.

KMC formally filed a case against Sharma for enslavement and crimes against minors on June 12, 2024, as the local government proceeded to push towards a legal avenue for a resolution of the dispute.

The NHRC has decided to take this case on thoroughly and ensure all political or legal pressures are not applied to deny justice. The commission hopes its efforts will ultimately determine accountability and take required measures.

Increased public interest in the case has made it a litmus test for Nepal's justice system, as it concerns how such cases will be dealt within that system when humans have been violated by powerful perpetrators.