Accountability Watch Committee (AWC) expresses serious concern over the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers made on 15th August 2017 to promote Colonel Kumar Lama to the post of Brigadier General of Nepal Army. This decision of the government has come despite the Kapilvastu District Court has convicted him of human rights violation. In the case lodged by Janak Bahadur Raut accusing Colonel Lama of inflicting severe torture on the plaintiff during 2005 at Gorusinghe army barracks, the Kapilvastu District Court ordered for departmental action against Colonel Lama and compensation to the torture survivor. In the verdict made on 29 November 2007, the Court ordered to, "Notify Nepal Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defense regarding the verdict that the defendant Kumar Lama, the then battalion commander of Shivadal Battalion Gorusinghe be referred for departmental action to the concerned body in accordance with the Torture Compensation Act, 2053 (BS), Article 7." Colonel Lama was also arrested and tried in the UK for his alleged involvement in torture in Shivadal Barrack, Kapiblstu. The Jury in the UK was not able to reach to the conclusion and required prosecutor to retrial him. However, the UK authority made decision not to retrial him in the UK. So, he returned to the Country. We believe, the UK authority made the decision not to try in the UK because the Government had publicly made the commitment that it would do the investigation and prosecution in such cases. This case had presented a very good opportunity for the Government of Nepal to present that it takes human rights seriously and holds the political will to bring those responsible for gross violations to justice. Unfortunately, re-enforcing impunity, it has not even respected the already existed decision of the District Court of Nepal. Promoting alleged perpetrators, without letting them the opportunities to clear their name, reinforces impunity and weakens rule of law. So, the Accountability Watch Committee demands to immediately withhold the decision to promote him to the post of Brigadier General of Nepal Army, notify the court and the victim on what departmental action was taken against him as per the court's order. नेपाल सरकारको मन्त्रि परिषदको श्रावण ३१ गते बसेको बैठकले कुमार लामालाई नेपाली सेनाको सहायक रथीमा बढुवा गरिएको प्रति जवाफदेहीता निगरानी समिति गम्भीर ध्यानाकर्षण भएको छ । सरकारको यो निर्णय कपिलबस्तु जिल्ला अदालतले मानव अधिकार हननका दोषी भनी ठहर गरेका व्यक्तिको पक्षमा आएकोले अदालतको आदेशको ठाडो उलंघन हो भन्ने समितिको ठहर छ । उक्त अदालतले गोरुसिंहे ब्यारेकमा जनक बहादुर राउतलाई माथि चरम यातना दिएकोमा निज लामालाई दोषी ठहर गरी विभागीय कारवाही गर्न र पीडितलाई क्षतिपूर्ति दिने आदेश गरेको थियो । २०६४ साल मंसिर १४ गतेको उक्त आदेशमा भनिएको छ, “नेपाली सेनाको मुख्यालय र रक्षा मन्त्रालयलाई प्रतिवादी कुमार लामा, शिवदल बटालियन गोरुसिङ्गेका तत्कालिन बटालियन कमाण्डर, लाई यातना क्षतिपूर्ति ऐन २०५३ दफा ७ अनुसार विभागिय कारबाहीका लागि जानकारी दिनु” । तर समितिलाई जानकारी भए अनुसार उक्त फैसलाको कार्यन्वयन भएको जानकारी आजका मितिसम्म पीडित स्वयंलाई छैन । अदालतको आदेश कार्यन्वयन नभई सकेको अवस्थामा दोषी ठहर भएका ब्यक्तिलाई पदोन्नति गर्नु भनेको दण्डहीनतालाई प्रश्रय र कानुनी शासनको उलंघन गर्नु हो । पीडकको पक्षपोषण गर्नु हो । त्यसैले निज लामाको पदोन्नति तत्काल रोक्न नेपाल सरकारसंग हामी जोडदार अपिल गर्दछौं । साथै कपिलबस्तु जिल्ला आदालतले दिएको आदेश कार्यन्वयन भएको सुचना सम्बन्धित पीडित तथा जिल्ला अदालतलाई दिईयोस भन्ने आग्रह समेत गर्दछौं । स्मरण रहोस शिवदल गारुसिंहे ब्यारेकमा दिईएको यातनामा संलग्न भएको आरोपमा लार्मा विश्वव्यापी क्षेत्राधिकार’ अन्तर्गत वेलायतमा गिरफ्तार परी करिब ३ बर्ष मुद्दा खेपेका ब्यक्ति हुन् । उक्त अदालतका जुरी समुह अन्तिम नतिजामा नपुग्दै नेपाल सरकारले उनीमाथि उचित कारवाही अघि बढाउने प्रतिबद्घता जनाए पछि वेलायत सरकारले मुद्दा अघि नबढाउने निर्णय गरेको थियो । यसबाट लामा स्वदेश फर्किने बाटो खुलेको हो । उनी निर्दोष ठहर भएका भने होईनन् ।