Ganga Maya Adhikari appeal: Reinvestigate my son’s murder and ensure my right to truth and justice

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As you all know, my quest for justice has been a long, heart-wrenching and arduous journey as 17 years have gone by and the perpetrators, who killed my innocent 17-year-old son, Krishna Prasad Adhikari in Bakulahar Chowk, Ratna Nagar, Chitwan on 6 June 2004, are still roaming free. Today is the 7th anniversary of my husband, Nanda Prasad Adhikari’s death, who died in hospital as the State did not respond to our call to initiate an independent and impartial investigation on the killing of my son despite being on hunger strike for 334 days. Experiencing this, I have nothing but to continue to have hope to get justice and continue to demand that in a peaceful way, without harming others. Going for the hunger strike was the last resort for us.

After my son’s killing, my husband and I knocked on many doors with the hope that the Government will take action and ensure our right to truth and justice. Having tried all the legal avenues to get justice for 9 years and still being denied of it, my husband and I decided to start fast-unto-death as it was the only option left for us to create pressure on the Government.  Little did I know that after 334 days of Satyagraha, my husband would take his last breath, without ever seeing the justice being done and leaving me alone in this arduous journey. I was shattered after my husband’s death but I gathered the broken pieces of my soul and continue to have this fight for justice, for my son and my husband.

I had hope when a charge sheet was filed against the alleged perpetrators at Chitwan District Court on 26 March 2014. However, the lack of due diligence and political will demonstrated in the collection of evidence made it impossible for the accused to be convicted. I could do nothing.   However, I continue to seek avenues as to how we initiate an impartial and independent investigation when the State has the interest to protect perpetrators. Many victims of conflict seek an answer to this question. Will not have any possibility for justice when State has an apparent interest to protect perpetrators than victims and does not do the proper investigation that could be capable of bringing perpetrators to justice?

After all these years of fighting for justice and getting nothing but false commitments and delaying tactics in the process from the Government side, I decided to take this issue of injustices to the international level. Thus, I requested my lawyers and Advocacy Forum-Nepal (AF) for legal assistance to internationalize the case. I am more than thankful to my lawyers and AF for filing a submission regarding my son’s killing and my husband’s death at United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) on my behalf. In the submission, I have urged the HRC to recommend to the Government of Nepal, to i) reinvestigate my son’s killing through an independent investigation team; ii) implement their prior commitment; iii) rehabilitate me and my family and iv) reinvigorate the overall TJ process. I am optimistic that this step would lead me closer to justice for my son and husband.

My heart is filled with the pain of losing a son and husband- a pain that never seems to heal or lessen in any way. But along with this pain, there is a strong determination too, a flicker of hope that makes me take these further steps towards justice. My husband’s dead body is still lying in Box No. 4 of Teaching Hospital Mortuary and someday I hope to perform his final rites, after seeing the perpetrators who killed our son, prosecuted and punished. I hope that day comes sooner.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who stood together with me all these years. I request their support in the future as well.

Ganga Maya Adhikari

22 September 2021 (6 Ashoj 2078)

Bir Hospital Kathmandu.