03.22.06
Cop begs for help
Photos by Todd Krainin
“I was beaten up and abused so bad at Police Headquarters,” tells Hom Bahadur Bagale, a sub-inspector of Nepal police. He entered the Kantipur Complex bruised and battered all over his body and half his head shaven “forcefully”, in uniform on Tuesday afternoon, seeking refuge.
He showed the media persons, present at the complex, his scars and scratches, which he claimed were signs of police abuse at the headquarters. He also claimed that police forcefully shaved half his head to humiliate him.
“I have been harassed and punished by police authorities for speaking against the irregularities of my seniors,” he said.
He claimed that he was beaten and thrown into a pond inside police headquarters when he went to inquire about his resignation. “Instead, they gave me a dismissal letter stripping me of my pension,” he said.
Immediately, as one of the journalists called police headquarters to inquire about his claims, in a dramatic move that followed, a group of policemen in uniform entered Kantipur Complex.
Hom Bahadur Bagale is arrested by police and forcibly removed from the offices of Kantipur Publications. He was being interviewed by Kantipur journalists about his role as the victim of police brutality, when the police broke into the room, apprehended him, and took him away in a van parked outside Kantipur premises.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by the Secretariat of the Inspector General of Police, same evening, refuted the claims made by sub-inspector Bagale saying that the man is a fraud. It said Bagale had allegedly failed to return gold he had taken from former DSP Khadga Singh Gurung. So, Bagale was subjected to departmental action, it said.
Earlier, Bagale had filed a case at Kathmandu District Court for compensation for torture. He has accused police officers of torturing him while in detention at Hanuman Dhoka Police Office.
Toronto, Canada said,
March 30, 2006 at 11:15 pm
The senior officer who are promoted by power are doing this bad game, now its time to survey internal- external, if this disaster hppend time to time no one will be intrest to join police force in future “nepal ka police afai rakshek and afai bhachhek” officer always domenating to Junior please stop to doing that and punish the person who played negative roll in the police force.
db /UK said,
March 31, 2006 at 1:48 am
this is very sad. I dont know what to say?
Rojeena Kayastha said,
March 31, 2006 at 3:16 am
I think that was very unhuman. People in police department should respect and try to encourage the junior police officers not like this.
This is a total injustice.
Nobody can do anything… just by commenting like this is not gonna work. We should work together.. to abolish these kind of things going on in our country and I totally support the second comment on this page.:)rest everything is in the hands of people.
Either to protest or to support totally is in Peoples had so People. DECIDE>
Peace
Amrita/US said,
March 31, 2006 at 3:26 am
The use of brutality at police headquaters may not seem so surprising. But the fact that a police officer actually came to a Newspaper office to publish the injustice done to him is quite surprising. In fact, it is a proof of the power of media on the human mind and the welfare of the state. This surely shows that we must make media more powerful, secure,efficient and honest. The voice of people should not be repressed, it will grow exponentially and crush the wrong-doers. I thank the courageous newspaper personnels and the officer for bringing out the news to us around the world. I hope our media will be able to help the victims rather than our “guardian’s of the law”.
PRABESH/USA said,
March 31, 2006 at 4:06 am
These days especially after Royal takeover nepal police have overestimated their authorative power, especially the senior officers have abused their power, over innocent nepalese, and now over their own officers. Its same to take such a humilating action , displaying the abuse of authority. I would like to appreciate Mr. Bagale and would suggest to continue fight for the equal justice, since this problem has been faced by many innocent nepalese and would continue if necessary steps are not taken in time.
rabin/Newyork said,
March 31, 2006 at 7:18 am
God bleess Nepal police
Anjan Singh Karki ( Philippines, Cebu ) said,
March 31, 2006 at 8:22 am
Good job!! you have taken a bold decision. In fact, you deserve the respect of every sincere citizen.Don’t stop yourself at this point, keep on going;everybody will back you up.
On the other hand, if you did it just for name and fame, you will pay the price. Hope, this is not the case.
Bista, Japan said,
March 31, 2006 at 10:11 am
I just want to add that whoever (policeman) ordered this or accepts this is intellectually (morally,…) unfit to be a policeman (or hold any public post), because they (policemen) are insulting a guy in UNIFORM inhumanely. This means that they are insulting the UNIFROM (whole police force) which means they are insulting themselves (making clown out of themselves). They cannot see this… For the individual victim, this is the worst thing I have ever seen public humiliation in picture. You know what the photos mean in our nepali society
Hem said,
March 31, 2006 at 10:13 am
It’s a shame on Nepalese police and the government. The Maoists were created because of one of these situations but again, even for the maoists, this ain’t an excuse to pick up the arms. When are you going to learn … you Nepalese politicians..?
Keshab/Lawrence, USA said,
March 31, 2006 at 11:12 am
I guess it is the first time a brave policeman in the Nepal Police dare to bring out the issue to the public. There are thousands of corruption cases which Nepali People are facing everyday from the Nepal police. I could imagine the terrible the grip of corrupted minds in the Nepal police when I went to make a police report to a police station at Pokhara in 2003.They used to simply say we cant make in unless you pay/give about Rs 1500.I rejected repeatedly. I was helpless but I had to get it anyway and finally agreed to pay Rs 250.I felt so guilty for that.Its ever memorable as a shameful day in my life.I hate them.Shame on this disgusting Nepal police.They must all be taken to jail and honest persons should be hired at the administration.