BIRENDRANAGAR, Aug 18: Police on Saturday arrested Raj Kumari Neupane, 25, a woman from Dailekh, who was absconding since April after allegedly thrashing a Dalit woman. He had allegedly thrashed the dalit woman for ‘touching water’ when Neupane was collecting water from a local tap on April 24.
A day after the incident, the victim had filed a complaint at the District Police Office (DPO), Surkhet, seeking justice. Neupane had been absconding since then.
Acting on a tip-off police arrested Neupane from Surkhet where he was hiding, according to Thakur Prasad Pokharel, deputy superintendent of police at the DPO.
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A day after the incident victim’s family had filed a complaint at the DPO.
The victim, Lachhima, said she was wounded in the head and required nine stitches. Dalit activists had been complaining that the perpetrator had political protection so the police did not arrest him. Dalit rights activists claimed that they had assisted the police in locating Neupane.
Even as untouchability is legally punishable crime cases of cast-based discrimination often take place in midwestern and farwestern Nepal.
A few years ago, Amrit BK of Jagannath of Bhagwatimai-4 in the district was thrashed on the charge of marrying a girl from Thakuri family.
Likewise, Setu Damai of Dailekh was killed in 2011 after his son married a girl from Thakuri family.
Those guilty in both the incidents were punished as per the law, according to rights activist and journalist from Dailekh, Amar Sunar.
