Innocent Durga Prasad, who spent 40 years in West Bengal jails, is yet to get compensation ordered by Indian court

Published On: February 1, 2022 01:00 PM NPT By: Bhim Chapagain

ILAM, Feb 1: Durga Prasad Timsina, 61, who was kept in Indian jails for 40 years without any guilt, has not been able to get compensation as per the order of the Kolkata High Court. Two months ago, the court ordered the West Bengal government to provide a compensation of INR 500,000 (Nepali Rupees 800,000) to Timsina within six weeks.

Durga Prasad was arrested and kept in various jails in West Bengal on the charge of murdering a woman from West Bengal. He was ordered to be released by the Kolkata High Court on March 20, 2021, after learning that his case had not been heard for 40 years.

Gopal Timsina, nephew of Durga Prasad, said that they have not received the compensation till now. “Following the order of the High Court, we were asked to certify the bank account. We have already sent all the documents. It has been several days since the bank account was verified but the money has not arrived yet,” he said. “We still have hope that we will receive relief. However, the time given by the court to transfer the money has already passed."

Timsina is currently undergoing treatment at Manab Sewa Aashram in Biratnagar as his mental health condition deteriorated after returning home. Similarly, he didn’t even have his citizenship when he had left his home. The District Administration Office granted citizenship to Durga Prasad after he returned home.

Durga Prasad still remembers Darjeeling as the place where he was arrested. He said, “I was arrested in Darjeeling but I don't know why I was arrested.” He asserted that he had not killed anyone. “My relatives didn’t visit me when I was in jail. At first they beat me in jail but later they stopped.”

Durga Prasad left home in January 1981 when he was 20 years old and went missing. At that time, his house was in the then Ekatappa Village Panchayat-8, Khanguwa (now Fakphokathum Rural Municipality) but later his family moved to Lumbak. In the same year, he was jailed for murdering a woman in Darjeeling, India. In March 2021, it was discovered that he was in Dumdum prison.