In its bid to locate people who disappeared at the hands of the state, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday exhumed a body from a jungle of Saphlaphed area of Chalan village development committee of Kavrepalanchowk district on Wednesday.

A press statement issued by the NHRC said a team led by NHRC member Sudip Pathak and doctors Harihar Osti and Pramod Shrestha of the Department of Forensic Medicines at the Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj dug up the body in about four hours.

The statement further said that a team of experts has already started investigation into the case.

The statement further said the team exhumed the body in a process of investigation of Hari Prasad Bolakhe, a 35-year old man from Fulbari VDC-8, on the basis of complaint filed at the commission that Bolakhe was arrested and murdered by the security forces in December 27 2003.

Sudip Pathak

Sudip Pathak (File Photo)
Talking to Nepalnews, coordinator of the team Pathak said, “We have to wait for DNA test results before coming to any conclusion whether it is the body of Bolakhe or not.”

He further said that though it might take nearly a month to get the result of the DNA test, the evidence found in the incident site matches with the family members’ statement taken before exhuming the body.

Pathak further said that the NHRC is also planning to conduct such activity in three more cases, adding, “We start the process after through investigation and after being confident about the incident site.”

Bolakhe’s name also featured in the Narayan Gopal Malego report on disappeared people made public on October 11, 2004. The report said Bolakhe was released after detention on April 20, 2004.

NHRC had carried out a similar exercise in January this year on a 15-year girl in Dhading district.

The commission is working to find out the whereabouts of the people who disappeared in the hands of the state.

According to Pathak, they are yet to find the whereabouts of nearly 570 people and the commission is preparing a final list of disappeared people after holding consultations with the family members of the disappeared people and after collecting other necessary evidences and facts.

“We are still continuing the work of corresponding and meeting with the government officials on the disappeared people,” Pathak added.