Unable to come to terms with the loss, she has been kept alive by intravenous means after her husband Tej Bahadur Chand, Inspector of the Armed Police force, reportedly died after drowning in a pond while undergoing training at the APF Academy in Pokhara on May 17. [break]
Married for two years, she has a 10-month daughter. However, she is unable to breastfeed the baby. “We have been administering her saline at home as the hospital is far away. She has not regained consciousness since she heard of her husband´s death,” Tej Bahadur´s younger brother Mohan said.
Tej Bahadur, 29, had been undergoing training in Pokhara for the last six months. He was declared dead at the Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu six days after drowning. His relatives claim he was thrown into the pond with his limbs tied and killed.
Mohan claims Tej Bahadur´s fellow trainees have conceded that Superintendent of Police (SP) Ram Prasad Shrestha and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kiran Dhungana tied his limbs and threw him into the pond after he passed out during the swimming drills. “The APF is hiding the truth,” Tej Bahadur´s father Chandra Bahadur said.
But the APF has maintained that he died while swimming in the pond. Though the APF has said it is investigating into the incident, it hasn´t made anything public. The APF, however, has provided Rs 10,000 for funeral expenses 10 days after his death.
The family has refused to accept Tej Bahadur´s belongings until the APF provides an acceptable reason for Tej Bahadur´s untimely death.
The belongings brought to Tej Bahadur´s house in Bellauri of Shreepur Village Development Committee, Kanchanpur in four bags 24 days after his death have been kept at the APF Border Security Post, Bellauri.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and other rights activists have been carrying out their own investigations. “We have sent our report to the center and the regional office in Pokhara is also doing its investigations,” said Jhankar Rawal, officer at the regional office of NHRC in Dhangadhi.
Tej Bahadur had joined the APF as assistant sub-inspector seven years ago. He was promoted to sub inspector four years ago and had gone to Pokhara for training after being selected as inspector.
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