were used to block the nostrils had dried bloodstains. He was found lying face down. Dried bloodstains were found on the white polythene bag used to cover the face of the victim. The police ordered the removal of the victim’s clothes at the place his body was found. It is mandatory to conduct a post-mortem examination when somebody dies in an accident but in this case, the police pressurised the family to cremate the body without having a post-mortem. The cremation was carried out on August 9 without waiting for his father and relatives, thereby denying them the possibility of carrying out the funeral rites. Furthermore, following Hindu tradition, the body of unmarried men and women are buried, not cremated. However the family was pressurized into cremating Ramsewak despite him being celibate. The police guarded the cremation ground throughout the process. This comes into stark contrast with the case of two girls who died by drowning in the area the previous week. The police had then pressurized the reluctant family to have a post-mortem investigation. On August 22, two plainclothes police went to the deceased’s family at around 7pm to get their signatures on a recognizance of death deed but the deceased’s family refused to sign the paper. Eight policemen went to the deceased’s family again around 8pm the same day and urged them to sign a paper without even reading the paper to them. The family again refused to sign it. At around 10pm, 10 policemen, two in police uniform, went to the deceased’s family again and pressurized them to sign the paper. Sympathetic villagers gathered at the victim’s home and told the police that the victim’s family should not sign the document because the police did not conduct a post-mortem on the body. The police backed down. On August 22, 2013, the deceased’s father registered an application at the Regional Office of THRD Alliance, Bhairahwa seeking legal aid and an investigation into the alleged custodial death of his son. Madeshi Human Rights Home (MAHURI) also recommended that the family be provided with legal help. Police Inspector of Area Police Office, Marchwar Prem Bandhu Pokhrel told THRD Alliance in a telephonic interview that Ramsewak was suffering from
were used to block the nostrils had dried bloodstains. He was found lying face down. Dried bloodstains were found on the white polythene bag used to cover the face of the victim. The police ordered the removal of the victim’s clothes at the place his body was found. It is mandatory to conduct a post-mortem examination when somebody dies in an accident but in this case, the police pressurised the family to cremate the body without having a post-mortem. The cremation was carried out on August 9 without waiting for his father and relatives, thereby denying them the possibility of carrying out the funeral rites. Furthermore, following Hindu tradition, the body of unmarried men and women are buried, not cremated. However the family was pressurized into cremating Ramsewak despite him being celibate. The police guarded the cremation ground throughout the process. This comes into stark contrast with the case of two girls who died by drowning in the area the previous week. The police had then pressurized the reluctant family to have a post-mortem investigation. On August 22, two plainclothes police went to the deceased’s family at around 7pm to get their signatures on a recognizance of death deed but the deceased’s family refused to sign the paper. Eight policemen went to the deceased’s family again around 8pm the same day and urged them to sign a paper without even reading the paper to them. The family again refused to sign it. At around 10pm, 10 policemen, two in police uniform, went to the deceased’s family again and pressurized them to sign the paper. Sympathetic villagers gathered at the victim’s home and told the police that the victim’s family should not sign the document because the police did not conduct a post-mortem on the body. The police backed down. On August 22, 2013, the deceased’s father registered an application at the Regional Office of THRD Alliance, Bhairahwa seeking legal aid and an investigation into the alleged custodial death of his son. Madeshi Human Rights Home (MAHURI) also recommended that the family be provided with legal help. Police Inspector of Area Police Office, Marchwar Prem Bandhu Pokhrel told THRD Alliance in a telephonic interview that Ramsewak was suffering from