Bara, August 21
The Birgunj-Pathlaiya road section in Bara remains blocked for a third consecutive day as protests continue over the rape and murder of three-year-old Garima Chaudhary of Jeetpursimara Sub-Metropolitan City-1.
Garima’s family has been staging a sit-in on the road demanding justice, resulting in the disruption of traffic along the busy highway for the past three days.
Although the local administration reached an agreement with local representatives on Thursday night, Garima’s family has refused to end the protest, saying the agreement was reached without their consent.
Garima’s father, Manoj Chaudhary, said the agreement reached by the administration with political party representatives without informing the family was unacceptable.
“We were not informed about the agreement. We do not accept it,” he said.
Manoj has demanded that Home Minister Sudan Gurung and Law Minister Sobita Gautam visit the family and commit to amending Nepal’s laws.
He said the family would not feel that justice had been served unless those responsible for the rape and brutal murder of his minor daughter received the death penalty.
Local residents had initially demanded the transfer of Dilip Chhetri, chief of the Area Police Office, Simara, alleging negligence on the part of the police in connection with the incident.
After Chhetri was transferred, local representatives reached a five-point agreement with the administration. However, Manoj said the agreement was reached around midnight without the family’s knowledge or consent.
Meanwhile, the Bara administration has been attempting to reopen the Birgunj-Pathlaiya road since Wednesday.
Police and Armed Police Force personnel have been deployed as part of efforts to clear the road. However, local residents have warned the authorities against reopening the road by removing Garima’s family from the protest site.
A local resident said they were also in favour of reopening the road but insisted that the administration must first seek the consent of Garima’s family.
The dispute has kept one of the major road links in the Bara-Parsa corridor disrupted for a third day, as the family continues its protest demanding justice for Garima.
