The landlord who was accused by Rupa Sunar of not leasing her room due to caste has gone to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanding action against Sunar.
Saraswati Pradhan from Babar Mahal, Kathmandu has claimed innocence and accused Sunar of framing her as part of a conspiracy. She has also demanded action against Sushma Rai and Srijana Rai who helped Sunar in finding a room.
Sunar had lodged police complaint against Pradhan accusing her of ethnic discrimination on June 17 and the latter was arrested and kept in police custody for three days.
Pradhan has accused Sunar of trying to spread infection without PCR test at the time of prohibitory orders, seeking to rent the room for criminal acts and recording the phone conversation with her without her consent and lodging a police complaint on that basis.
She has also accused the 24-year-old presenter of 'Ukali Orali' program on Image Television of misusing her press identity card.
Pointing that her husband and mother-in-law own the house, she has claimed she has no right to lease the room and argued that she was falsely accused as a landlord and her human rights violated through forged charges.
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 June 17. The police lodged ethnic discrimination and untouchability case against the landlord.
The police released Pradhan after the District Government Attorney Office pointed at inadequate investigation and instructed the police to do further investigation.
Education Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha had reached the Metropolitan Police Circle Singha Durbar last Wednesday for Pradhan's release and dropped 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 was widely condemned.
The police had arrested the landlord on June 20 and submitted the investigation file to the District Government Attorney Office after interrogating the woman while in custody. The District Government Attorney Office did not take the case to the court citing lack of evidence to implicate the landlord.
