The 18 ex-policemen started the protest from December 2, with a banner placed in front of the main gate of the jail demanding a judicial inquiry into the ´mutiny against corruption´. They also complain that they are being kept in illegal detention without their trial process being forwarded, thereby violating their human rights.
“We have started the hunger strike and boycott of the 700 grams of rice and Rs 45 given daily by the government as our demands were not met even after we staged an unbroken 24-hour sit-in,” argued former sub-inspector Trilok Chand.
They have been irked as the chief district officer (CDO) did not visit the prison, which is nearby, despite their protest. They claimed that they are not receiving a penny despite being entitled to 25 percent of their salary as per the provision in the Police Act for suspended staff.
“They have to make a proper inquiry and punish us if we are guilty. They can´t leave us sons of the poor to rot for months in jail without any investigation,” another former sub-inspector, Shailendra Basnet, demanded. He said the government was unnecessarily giving mental torture to their families and warned of stringent protests if their demands are not fulfilled even after their hunger strike.
He accused Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhtar Ali Ansari and other officers of enticing them to mutiny and slammed the authorities´ double standards in taking action against junior ranks only.
“The involvement of senior officers will come out in the open during judicial investigations. So, they are delaying things to save themselves,” he reasoned.
The ex-policemen also slammed the political leaders for paying only lip service to their demands. Maoist politburo member Lekhraj Bhatta and Constituent Assembly (CA) member Narad Muni Rana visited them in jail Wednesday and promised to take their issue to the center.
They disclosed that their families have submitted the signatures of leaders of different political parties and CA members to the prime minister after the home minister promised to release them if the 22 parties agreed.
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