December 29, 2015
Terai Human Rights Defenders (THRD) Alliance shows its serious concern over the recent acts of filing false charges such as public offence, robbery and theft against a dozen of protesters.
On December 20, UDMF Sarlahi district coordinator Ashok Yadav was apprehended by the police from a local FM radio station ‘Radio Madhes’ in Malangwa, where he was for an interview. A case of public offence has been filed on Yadav. We found that the District Administration Office (DAO) Sarlahi has released him on bail.
Likewise, police investigations into robbery and theft cases that were charged on seven protesters in Saptari district based on the complaints of police themselves within last week of December 2015 are underway. Three of them – Krishna Kumar Payak, 21, of Bhardaha VDC-1, Manaraj Mandal, 20, of Portaha VDC-8, and Sanjit Kumar Yadav, 25, of Bharaha-8 were arrested on charge of robbery. Riju Jha, 20 of Bharaha-4 was also arrested on charge of theft. Although the cases of robbery have been filed against Sanjiv Mandal, 28, of Madhavapur VDC-4, and Narayan Yadav, 27, of Bharadah-8 and Sundar Mukhita of Bhardaha-4 charged with robbery and theft, they have not been arrested.
Similarly, the DAO of Dhanusha on December 24, 2015 filed cases against Shila Devi, 40, of Janakpur Sub-metropolitan city-4 on charge of vandalism and attacks in Janaki Temple under ancient monument preservation act 2013 (BS). We also found that police arrested Sitaram Mandal, Rahul Kumar Raut and Ritesh Kumar Mandal and charged them with public offence.
The state, on one hand, has used excessive use of force during Madhes protest and demonstrations while, on the other hand, false charges such as public offence, robbery and theft have been filed on some innocent youths and Madhesi leaders with an aim to suppress the movement. This is completely against fundamental rights to peaceful demonstration.
We believe that such acts by the state will only push the movement toward further violence. Hence, we demand police to stop filing false charges on innocent protesters following their arbitrary detention and also refrain from using excessive force. We also urge the protesters to organize the protest programs in a peaceful manner.
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Raksha Ram Harijan
Human Rights Officer
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