NEPAL: Girl gang raped and family beaten after they protested

Dear Friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information from the Terai Human Rights Defenders’ Alliance (THRDA). On 29 October 2017, a 17-year-old Muslim girl, a resident of the Parsauni Rural Municipality-4, Sakhuwa of the Parsa District, had been gang raped. Mukhtar Ansari, 22, son of Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari, and his friend, Ansari Babu, kidnapped the girl. They took her to a nearby sugarcane field, where they took turns raping her.

CASE DETAILS:

The AHRC has been informed that on 29 October 2017, the 17 year old Muslim girl was on her way to fetch grass for the family. Mukhtar Ansari, 22, and his friend, Ansari Babu, riding a motorbike kidnapped her at knife point. They took her to a sugarcane field some 6 kilometers away. Here, they subdued her, taped her mouth shut, took turns to rape and then beat her. These two were assisted by three friends, Harishankar Das Tatma, Rustam Ansari and Oli Alam.

After raping the girl, the group took her to Oli Alam’s house. It is situated in a secluded place, away from the village. She was kept there for the entire night. Imagine the terror she endured.

On 30 October, Oli Alam, Rustam Ansari and Harishankar Das, took the teenage girl to the Narayani Sub-Regional Hospital, Birgunj, for treatment. The group told the Doctors that the girl was the victim of a motorbike accident. After that, they dropped the girl off at her village.

At home, the girl explained to her family what had happened and who were involved. The family took the young girl to the Police Station in Patharaiya and attempted to file a First Information Report (FIR). But the Police refused to register the FIR. Thwarted, the girl and her family returned home.

On the evening of 30 October 2017, Mukhtar Ansari and his friend Rustam went to the girl’s home. The family was threatened not to speak of the incident. Mukhtar, furthermore, threatened to rape the girl’s sister if they went to the Police Station to file a complaint. Needless to say, that the victim’s family protested vehemently. Immediately after, the Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari, came with three other sons and started violently thrashing the girl’s relatives. The girl’s sister-in-law and niece were hurt in the confrontation, the sister-in-law sustaining a fractured arm.

On 2 November 2017, the girl’s family went to the Area Police Station (APO) in Paterwa Sugauli. They lodged a written complaint. Despite this, the Police have not yet arrested the Ward Chairperson, Jumadin. It was he who threatened and beat the girl’s family, while it was his son, Mukhtar and his friends who raped the girl.

Ward Chairperson, Jumadin has been trying to silence the girl and her family by offering them money as a bribe to keep silent.

On 3 November, the District Police Office (DPO) in Parsa, summoned the girl and her parents. While the Superintendent of Police (SP), Dr. Ganesh Regmi, was questioning the circumstances surrounding the incident, the Ward Chairperson was casually strolling around the DPO premises. But did the Police arrest him? No.

The AHRC requests the Government of Nepal to promptly arrest Jumadin, his son Mukhtar and his friends who abetted the rape and the beatings. As the girl had been bleeding heavily, she required urgent medical care and attention to prevent further shock and to save her life. As the victim and her family are receiving threats to withdraw their case, their safety and security must be secured.

THE RAPE VICTIM MUST RECEIVE JUSTICE.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write letters to the following Authorities, calling on them to take all necessary action.

The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on minority issues in that context, for his intervention in this matter.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear __________,

NEPAL: Girl gang raped and family beaten after they protested

Name of victims: 17-year-old Muslim girl
Alleged Perpetrators: Mukhtar Ansari, Ansari Babu, Oli Alam, Rustam Ansari, Harishankar Das and Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari
Date of incident: 29 October 2017 to the present
Place of incident: Parsauni Rural Municipality-4, Sakhuwa of Parsa District

I am writing to voice my deep concern as I came to know that a 17-year-old Muslim girl, a resident of the Parsauni Rural Municipality-4, Sakhuwa of the Parsa District, had been gang raped. Mukhtar Ansari, 22, son of Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari, and his friend, Ansari Babu, kidnapped the girl. They took her to a nearby sugarcane field, where they took turns raping her.

The 17-year-old Muslim girl was on her way to fetch grass for the family. Mukhtar Ansari, 22, and his friend, Ansari Babu, riding a motorbike kidnapped her at knife point. They took her to a sugarcane field some 6 kilometers away. Here, they subdued her, taped her mouth shut, took turns to rape and then beat her. These two were assisted by three friends, Harishankar Das Tatma, Rustam Ansari and Oli Alam.

After raping the girl, the group took her to Oli Alam’s house. It is situated in a secluded place, away from the village. She was kept there for the entire night. Imagine the terror she endured.

On 30 October, Oli Alam, Rustam Ansari and Harishankar Das, took the teenage girl to the Narayani Sub-Regional Hospital, Birgunj, for treatment. The group told the Doctors that the girl was the victim of a motorbike accident. After that, they dropped the girl off at her village.

At home, the girl explained to her family what had happened and who were involved. The family took the young girl to the Police Station in Patharaiya and attempted to file a First Information Report (FIR). But the Police refused to register the FIR. Thwarted, the girl and her family returned home.

On the evening of 30 October 2017, Mukhtar Ansari and his friend Rustam went to the girl’s home. The family was threatened not to speak of the incident. Mukhtar, furthermore, threatened to rape the girl’s sister if they went to the Police Station to file a complaint. Needless to say, that the victim’s family protested vehemently. Immediately after, the Ward Chairperson, Jumadin Ansari, came with three other sons and started violently thrashing the girl’s relatives. The girl’s sister-in-law and niece were hurt in the confrontation, the sister-in-law sustaining a fractured arm.

On 2 November 2017, the girl’s family went to the Area Police Station (APO) in Paterwa Sugauli. They lodged a written complaint. Despite this, the Police have not yet arrested the Ward Chairperson, Jumadin. It was he who threatened and beat the girl’s family, while it was his son, Mukhtar and his friends who raped the girl.

Ward Chairperson, Jumadin has been trying to silence the girl and her family by offering them money as a bribe to keep silent.

On 3 November, the District Police Office (DPO) in Parsa, summoned the girl and her parents. While the Superintendent of Police (SP), Dr. Ganesh Regmi, was questioning the circumstances surrounding the incident, the Ward Chairperson was casually strolling around the DPO premises. But did the Police arrest him? No.

The request the Government of Nepal to promptly arrest Jumadin, his son Mukhtar and his friends who abetted the rape and the beatings. As the girl had been bleeding heavily, she required urgent medical care and attention to prevent further shock and to save her life. As the victim and her family are receiving threats to withdraw their case, their safety and security must be secured.

I look forward to your prompt action in this matter.

Yours Sincerely,

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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba 
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
P.O. Box: 23312
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4211000
Fax: +977 1 4211086
Email: info@opmcm.gov.np

2. Mr. Anupraj Sharma
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Pulchowk, Lalitpur
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 55 47973
Tel: +977 1 5010015
E-mail: complaints@nhrcnepal.org or nhrc@nhrcnepal.org

3. Mr. Basant Ram Bhandari 
Attorney General
Office of Attorney General 
Ramshah Path, Kathmandu
NEPAL 
Tel: +977 1 4240210, +977 1 4262548, +977 1 4262394
Fax: +977 1 4262582,  4218051
Email: info@attorneygeneral.gov.np

4. Mr. Prakash Aryal
Inspector General of Police
Police Head Quarters 
Naxal, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Tel: +977 1 4412432
Email: phqigs@nepalpolice.gov.np

5. Mr. Tulasi Ram Sedai 
Secretary
National Women Commission
Bhadrakali Plaza, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977-1-4250246 
Tel: +977-1-4256701
Email: info@nwc.gov.np

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)