Posted by: goddamn October 12, 2011
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KATHMANDU:In a twist to the murder case implicating Minister for Land Reforms and Management Prabhu Sah, Babita Tiwari, the wife of late Kashi Nath Tiwari said government officials were pressurising her to
drop the case. Tiwari was murdered by Maoist cadres last year in Birgunj,
Organising a press conference, Babita said Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry Nagendra Jha gave her Rs eight lakh yesterday morning at his residence in New Baneshwor. Jha was the Chief District Officer of Parsa District when Maoist cadres killed Tiwari on June 26 last year.
Parsa district government attorney today filed a murder case against four Maoist cadres but not Sah at Parsa District Court.
“Handing over the amount, Jha asked me to give a statement saying that Prabhu Sah did not have a hand in the murder of my husband,” Babita said. She said Jha also told her he had scheduled a meeting with the prime minister at his official residence in Baluwatar yesterday at 4:30 pm, but she did not go there after consulting former minister and Nepali Congress district President Surendra Chaudhari.
Babita, Tiwari’s elder brother Prayag Tiwari, senior adviser of Bishwo Hindu Yuba Parishad Jyoti Lal Sah and Prabesh Kattel had meet Jha at his residence and received the amount. Chaudhari had advised Babita not to accept the amount but to fight to punish the culprit.
“I want to punish the culprits. I don’t want the amount,” Babita said adding, “I accepted it as evidence.” She also added she smelt something wrong in the amount Jha had given her, for he had never met her after her husband’s murder.
“This is a serious conspiracy on the part of the government to give a clean chit to the main culprit and we are shocked that the prime minister himself is involved in such a game,” late Tiwari’s elder brother Prayag added.
Chaudhari also said the government has been offering Tiwari’s family job, money
and has even promised to declare late Tiwari a martyr if the family members agree to change their stance.
Advocate Tikaram Bhattarai accused Prime Minister Bhattarai of abusing his authority by influencing authorities not to prosecute Minister Sah. He said Bhattarai was acting against the oath he had taken.
“Now the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority should investigate who gave former CDO Jha the amount as well as the involvement of the prime minister.” Bhattarai said, He also added that Attorney General Mukti Pradhan might also face investigation for being involved in a conspiracy to protect a murder suspect, who happens to be a minister.
Human rights activists Charan Prasai and Kanak Mani Dixit demanded that an investigation be carried out to find out from where Jha got the money and why the amount was handed over to the family of the deceased, as it promoted impunity in the country.
While admitting that Tiwari’s family members had met him at his residence yesterday, Jha denied he had given the amount to them. “Why would I give them the amount? Are they my relatives?” Jha questioned over phone. “They came to me seeking help in my capacity as former CDO of the district,” he added.
Mum’s the word for AG Pradhan
KATHMANDU: Attorney General Mukti Narayan Pradhan on Wednesday, declined to say whether or not he had decided to prosecute Land Reforms and Management Minister Prabhu Sah. “I shall speak tomorrow. I cannot speak today,” he told reporters. In the evening, Pradhan met Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi. The government can drop a case only with the consent of the Attorney General. Otherwise, the district government attorney must forward such a case to the District Court along with the investigation of the district police. The PM’s personal secretary Ganga Shrestha also declined to comment when asked why Home Ministry Joint Secretary Nagendra Jha had handed over Rs eight lakh to Tiwari’s family and asked Tiwari’s wife to change her statement.
Attorney General slammed
KATHMANDU: Issuing a press release, Democratic Lawyers’ Association (DLA) on Wednesday came down heavily on AG Pradhan for protecting Minister Sah, a murder suspect. “This is mockery of rule of law. It shows the AG functioning with petty political interests,” the releaed said. “The culprit must be punished at any cost and the Attorney General should work honestly for the constitution,” it added. — HNS
The Himalayan Times
drop the case. Tiwari was murdered by Maoist cadres last year in Birgunj,
Organising a press conference, Babita said Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry Nagendra Jha gave her Rs eight lakh yesterday morning at his residence in New Baneshwor. Jha was the Chief District Officer of Parsa District when Maoist cadres killed Tiwari on June 26 last year.
Parsa district government attorney today filed a murder case against four Maoist cadres but not Sah at Parsa District Court.
“Handing over the amount, Jha asked me to give a statement saying that Prabhu Sah did not have a hand in the murder of my husband,” Babita said. She said Jha also told her he had scheduled a meeting with the prime minister at his official residence in Baluwatar yesterday at 4:30 pm, but she did not go there after consulting former minister and Nepali Congress district President Surendra Chaudhari.
Babita, Tiwari’s elder brother Prayag Tiwari, senior adviser of Bishwo Hindu Yuba Parishad Jyoti Lal Sah and Prabesh Kattel had meet Jha at his residence and received the amount. Chaudhari had advised Babita not to accept the amount but to fight to punish the culprit.
“I want to punish the culprits. I don’t want the amount,” Babita said adding, “I accepted it as evidence.” She also added she smelt something wrong in the amount Jha had given her, for he had never met her after her husband’s murder.
“This is a serious conspiracy on the part of the government to give a clean chit to the main culprit and we are shocked that the prime minister himself is involved in such a game,” late Tiwari’s elder brother Prayag added.
Chaudhari also said the government has been offering Tiwari’s family job, money
and has even promised to declare late Tiwari a martyr if the family members agree to change their stance.
Advocate Tikaram Bhattarai accused Prime Minister Bhattarai of abusing his authority by influencing authorities not to prosecute Minister Sah. He said Bhattarai was acting against the oath he had taken.
“Now the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority should investigate who gave former CDO Jha the amount as well as the involvement of the prime minister.” Bhattarai said, He also added that Attorney General Mukti Pradhan might also face investigation for being involved in a conspiracy to protect a murder suspect, who happens to be a minister.
Human rights activists Charan Prasai and Kanak Mani Dixit demanded that an investigation be carried out to find out from where Jha got the money and why the amount was handed over to the family of the deceased, as it promoted impunity in the country.
While admitting that Tiwari’s family members had met him at his residence yesterday, Jha denied he had given the amount to them. “Why would I give them the amount? Are they my relatives?” Jha questioned over phone. “They came to me seeking help in my capacity as former CDO of the district,” he added.
Mum’s the word for AG Pradhan
KATHMANDU: Attorney General Mukti Narayan Pradhan on Wednesday, declined to say whether or not he had decided to prosecute Land Reforms and Management Minister Prabhu Sah. “I shall speak tomorrow. I cannot speak today,” he told reporters. In the evening, Pradhan met Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi. The government can drop a case only with the consent of the Attorney General. Otherwise, the district government attorney must forward such a case to the District Court along with the investigation of the district police. The PM’s personal secretary Ganga Shrestha also declined to comment when asked why Home Ministry Joint Secretary Nagendra Jha had handed over Rs eight lakh to Tiwari’s family and asked Tiwari’s wife to change her statement.
Attorney General slammed
KATHMANDU: Issuing a press release, Democratic Lawyers’ Association (DLA) on Wednesday came down heavily on AG Pradhan for protecting Minister Sah, a murder suspect. “This is mockery of rule of law. It shows the AG functioning with petty political interests,” the releaed said. “The culprit must be punished at any cost and the Attorney General should work honestly for the constitution,” it added. — HNS
The Himalayan Times