Som Bahadur Bista, 40, has been working in Thailand for the last 12 years. He came to Nepal in September 2018 when his father fell ill, and as his father’s condition is improving, he was planning to go back to Thailand after 1 or 2 months.
At around 4:30 p.m. on 13 January 2019, Som Bahadur went out to attend a meeting for road construction in Galkot. At around 9 pm the same day, while he was returning home with Bikki Gaire and Krishna KC, and when they came near the Police Post in Hatiya, one policeman shook hands with Bikki Gaire. Som Bahadur also took out his hand from his pocket and tried to shake hands with him, but the police officer verbally abused him saying, “Ma saale” (bloody bastard). Then Som Bahadur asked in English, ‘What do you mean by ‘Ma saale’?’ Angered by Som Bahadur speaking in English, the policeman started beating and kicking him. Using sticks, Policemen Prem Thapa and Buddha Bista (rank unidentified) hit and kicked him on different parts of his body. Krishna KC requested the police not to beat him, but he too was then beaten.
After that incident, Som Bahadur returned home with difficulty. When there was intolerable pain in his stomach, his wife and son took Som Bahadur to the Arati Medical in Hatiya. The video x-ray was not clear, so he was advised to come the following morning on an empty stomach. On their way home, as they passed the police post, they saw the policemen in plain clothes. When Som Bahadur’s son asked them why they beat his father, they told him to come the following morning at 10 a.m. for discussion.
Then they returned home. Once at home, Som Bahadur felt dizzy and fell down. He even vomited. He also suffered from loose motions the whole night.
The following morning Som Bahadur was again taken to the medical centre, where a doctor gave him saline water and did an x-ray. The doctor said that he was suffering from internal stomach injuries. Som Bahadur’s family members then took him to the Fewa City Hospital in Pokhara. There, it was diagnosed that his bile duct, bladder and pancreas were damaged. Around three liters of blood was clotted in his stomach. The doctor said that if he had been admitted a few hours later, he could have died. Som Bahadur has received 52 stitches in his stomach.
Som Bahadur and his family need immediate support. He was the breadwinner of the family, and due to police torture, he has been badly injured. His health condition is improving gradually after the operation. The AHRC demands legal action against the perpetrators, medical treatment for Som Bahadur and adequate compensation for the pain he suffered and loss of future opportunities.
The AHRC calls for quick and stringent action by the Government of Nepal, and investigation into the torture by the police. The police officers must be suspended during the investigation as they could tamper with the evidence and threaten the victim and the family. Som Bahadur must receive protection, and the government must ensure proper treatment to him. The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment~Asian Human Rights Commission
