Expressing concern over increasing trend of torture, the participants at a program have stressed on formulating a law against it.

They were speaking at a program organized at NHRC on the occasion of 15^th Internationdal Day against Torture on June 26.

Addressing the program, deputy PM and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhedar said that the government had identified torture as a serious crime and vowed that no torturer would be able escape. Accepting that torture existed in the country, he added that common pledge against torture was needed to reduce the incidents of torture. He also reiterated government’s commitment against torture.

NHRC chairperson reminded that Nepal had already recognized torture as a serious crime and that it should now draft a tough law against torture to punish the punish the torturer. He added that the right against torture mentioned in the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007 could be implemented as per the government’s policy and program.

Sharing the podium, INSEC chairperson Subodh Raj Pyakurel pointed towards the need of a state mechanism to build a culture against torture. He also urged all to vow against torture. “If everybody makes such vow, the society free of torture as dreamed by us can be fulfilled”. Nepal should be identified as a torture-free country, Pyakurel added.

Advocacy Forum chairperson, Mandira Sharma mentioned that the incidents of torture in custody had gone up and most of the victims were women. Likewise, CVICT’s Jamuna Paudel stressed on ending the culture of impunity. IGP Rabindra Pratap Shah claimed that Nepal Police accepted human rights institutaionally and that it had never encouraged torture. He informed that departmental action had been taken against 58 policemen on charge of being involved in human rights violation.