Education Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha reached the Metropolitan Police Circle Singha Durbar on Wednesday for release of the landlord who refused to lease a room to Rupa Sunar due to her caste.
A large crowd seeking release of the landlord had already gathered at the police station when Minister Shrestha reached there and they chanted slogans against complainant Sunar.
The police released the woman from Babar Mahal, Kathmandu with Pradhan surname after the District Government Attorney Office pointed at inadequate investigation and instructed the police to do further investigation.
Minister Shrestha took the landlord to her home on his government vehicle with flag after her release.
The issue of a federal minister dropping a person accused of ethnic discrimination to her home has been widely condemned on the social media.
Setopati contacted Minister Shrestha to talk about the issue but he refused to comment on that. "I am now in a secret meeting. I will talk later," Shrestha said when Setopati asked about him going to seek release of the landlord from Babar Mahal.
The police arrested the landlord on Sunday and submitted the investigation file to the District Government Attorney Office after interrogating the woman while in custody. The District Government Attorney Office has not taken the case to the court citing lack of evidence to implicate the landlord.
Sunar, who lives with her mother, had hunted for a room at Babar Mahal on June 15. The 24-year-old presenter of 'Ukali Orali' program on Image Television liked the room that her friend showed. The landlord, Sunar claims, had first agreed to lease the room and the rent was finalized.
The dalit girl had said she is a daughter of kaami (black/goldsmith) when asked about her ethnicity by the landlord. She claims that the landlord refused to lease the room after finding out that she is a dalit.
She lodged police complaint against the landlord accusing her of ethnic discrimination on Thursday. The police lodged ethnic discrimination and untouchability case against the landlord. The offense carries jail term of three months to three years and a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000.
