CoAS Rana meets Colonel Lama in UK

LONDON, Sept 7: Visiting Chief of the Army Staff, Gaurav Shamser Rana met with Nepal Army (NA) Colonel Kumar Lama in London, who has been charged committing torture during armed conflict era in Nepal.



CoAS Rana held a meeting with Lama at the UK-based Nepal Embassy Saturday morning. According to a source, Lama made a complaint with Rana that Nepal government was reluctant on bearing expenditures of his ongoing trial at the UK-based Chelmsford Crown Court. [break]



The source further said that CoAS Rana informed Lama that Nepal government had recently decided not to release total amount of expenditure for his ongoing trial. However, the erstwhile government led by Baburam Bhattarai had decided to bear total costs related to the case.



“During the meeting Colonel Lama expressed his desire to retain his previous position as soon as possible,” the source added.



In response to Lama’s request, Rana assured him for full support as the case was attached to the national interests and the Nepal Army simultaneously.

Colonel Lama was arrested on January 3 by British Metropolitan Police in Sussex on the charge of torturing detainees in Nepal in 2005, when the armed conflict was at its peak.

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