A team of the National Human Rights Commission has arrived from its far-west regional office in Dipayal to take stock of the human rights situation, in the wake of disappeared weapons from the Nepali Army far-west regional headquarters, a few weeks ago. Human Rights Officer Pawan Bhatta and his team from Dhangadi-based office have arrived in Doti district headquarters, responding to complaints filed the by kin of army personnel, who have been kept under ‘watch’. The team has started work by collecting necessary information about matters related to the disappearance of weapons. One SMG, two loaded magazines and 200 rounds of bullets had gone missing from the NA regional headquarters mysteriously since August 5.

The NA, however, has yet to officially confirm its missing weapons. NA, following the incident, is said to have formed a court of inquiry board to investigate the issue. Regarding information about the board keeping army personnel in charge of the security of the quarter from where the weapons were lost, under scrutiny, it was only through the NA’s official statement that the same was learnt. Meanwhile, news of army personnel’ ‘detention’ had kicked up a flurry of media reports about human rights violation ranging from extreme torture meted out to detained security personnel, withholding information about them from their respective families and preventing the concerned army personnel’s families from meeting them. Following the pressure of news reports, the headquarters later had granted the detained personnel’s kin a very brief meeting with their relatives.

Only close relatives such as wives, kids and parents were allowed to visit. Irked at being rebuffed, the other relatives had reached out to the NHRC regional office to complain about the injustice. “As we’ve heard various issues about human rights violation, we’re here to learn about the same,” said Human Rights Officer Bhatta, adding that they have inquired from the headquarters about the reported human rights violation. “The army, in its response, has denied anything that amounts to human rights violation; our work is on,” he said.