A former inmate of Nepal Army’s Bhairabnath Battalion, Kathmandu, filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court on Tuesday accusing former army chief Pyar Jung Thapa and four other army officers of crimes against humanity.

In his writ petition, Krishna KC, a Maoist leader who spent over two years in various army barracks including the infamous Bhairabnath barracks following his arrest in September 2003, demanded strong action against former army chief Thapa, commander of Bhairabnath Battalion Colonel Raju Basnet, and officers Indibar Rana, Dilip Rayamajhi and Bibek Bista for their involvement in the disappearance of 49 detainees, and the subsequent murder of some of them.

KC, who was the vice-president of the Maoist student wing at the time of his arrest, further stated that detainees underwent severe mental and physical torture, rape and electrocution.

Earlier, there were reports of execution of some of the 49 missing people. National and international human rights groups have repeatedly asked the government to probe the disappearance of detainees from the army barracks and bring the culprits to justice.