SARLAHI, Aug 15: Policemen at the Chandranigahapur-based Area Police Office (APO), Sarlahi, mercilessly beat up a young boy from highly underprivileged Dalit community without any apparent reason. Police on Sunday evening had arrested Bishal Nepali, 22, of Chapini, Sarlahi Harion Municipality-8, accusing him of stealing. They senselessly beat him up all over his body with pipes the whole night. The next day, police released Nepali and handed him over to his relatives stating that he is innocent.“They started beating me from Bagmati and took me to Chandarnigahapur while continuing beating me along the way,” said Nepali. “The beating continued the whole night.
They blindly hit me with pipes all over my feet, thighs and legs and back.”On Monday evening, his uncle Kumar Nepali along with other relatives visited the APO and demanded answers. Police then said he is innocent and released him.Bishal works as the driver's assistant in a micro-bus. While he was awaiting passengers near the micro in Bagmati Bazaar, a woman created a scene stating that her gold had been stolen.
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Seeing him in ragged clothes, the woman accused him and two other men who also work in micro, as the suspects.The locals then took them under control and handed them over to the police post at Paura. Police personnel then took them to the APO while beating them up on the way.“Police showed more brutality towards me. The other two did not get much beating,” said Bishal. “They beat me so bad that I now cannot walk properly. My body is sore and weak and I have to limp. I have been called to work but my condition doesn't allow me to.”Later, investigation by the APO showed that the three are innocent. All of the micro workers have now been released.Bishal's uncle Kumar vented his ire against police. “They should not beat people up without finding out the truth. “When poor laborers like us face injustice, there's nobody to speak for us.”
Despite the visible black and blue marks on Bishal's body, Deputy Superintendent of Police Shantiraj Koirala of the APO claimed that they did not beat him up. “It could be that the locals beat him up while taking him under control. They were bought here by Paurai's police. Our team did not do anything,” he said.
