According to activist Jaganath Lamichhane, the police used force against protestors as they walked toward the pavement where they have been regularly staging sit-ins. “Such intervention is a national shame,” he said. [break]
Bhupesh Shrestha, Manish Maharjan, Bikram Tharu, Taradevi Shrestha, Ujjwal Thapa, Kundan Kafle and Ishan Adhikari were among those detained by the police.
The protest against gender-based violence was triggered by the demands for justice for Sita Rai, who was robbed and raped allegedly by airport officials. The protestors have also been demanding justice for Bindu Thakur and Shiva Hasmi, who were burnt to death, and whereabouts of Chhorimaiya Maharjan, who has been missing since over a year.
Baburam Bhattarai-led government had formed a high-level investigation committee on December 30. The committee submitted its report with few recommendations. However, it was termed unsatisfactory by some volunteers who burnt the report.
Though initially it was focused on violence against women, the movement has expanded after other victims of injustice joined it.
It noticeably dragged political interest of several parties after the campaigners intensified their protest against former lawmaker Balkrishna Dhungel, who is a convicted murderer but has so far defied the court order that sentenced him to life imprisonment with property attached.
The police have used force to disperse the crowd at the movement a couple of times even earlier. Following Tuesday´s arrest Lamichhane said that the protest would go on. “Why the government is being so oppressive to the victims and their families? But we stand for justice and we will continue our protest,” he said.
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