The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the government to improve the management of prisons across the country.
The commission recently monitored the situation following a violent clash among inmates at Kailali Prison and the overall conditions at Rupandehi Prison.
On Monday, a team led by NHRC member Lily Thapa visited Rupandehi Prison and assessed the prison’s physical condition and overall management. The NHRC team also met with inmates including Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane.
"It was found that the window of the room where Rabi Lamichhane is held is sealed with plywood, preventing ventilation; he is not allowed to move outside the room; an open toilet is attached to the room; the room is unsuitable from a health perspective; and despite a court order, Lamichhane has not been transferred," the commission said in a press release issued on Tuesday.
"The inspection also found that Rupandehi Prison is housing inmates beyond its capacity, lacks separate facilities for elderly and sick inmates, does not provide sufficient newspapers, lacks proper educational arrangements for those who wish to study, and inmates entitled to social security allowances are not receiving them. It was also found that snakes occasionally enter the prison, and the prison office lacks sufficient budget for managing even basic necessities."
The NHRC’s Far-West office has been continuously monitoring the situation in Kailali Prison arising from a violent clash on August 9, the press release said.
Before the clash, the NHRC had written to the prison authorities on January 17 and August 4, urging them to take precautions to prevent potential incidents.
Immediately after the incident, the NHRC’s Far-West office in Dhangadhi conducted an inspection and found that the prison was overcrowded beyond its capacity and the state mechanism had failed to take adequate measures to resolve the issue despite recurring conflicts among inmates. It also found that the number of security personnel was insufficient, security checks were extremely lax and lacked technological support, and the non-transparent transfer process led to clashes among inmates.
The commission has directed the government to ensure adequate manpower and budget for prison management, enhance the capacity of all prisons, including those in Rupandehi and Kailali, and carry out necessary reforms.
Lamichhane is currently in custody at Rupandehi Prison for investigation related to cooperative fraud.
