Rape and murder are some of the vices that have continuously become a problem in the world mainly affecting women. This is the case in West Nepal where a young girl was raped and murdered.
One teenage boy was killed and dozens were injured in West Nepal when police opened fire on protesters demanding action over the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl, according to officials.
Hundreds of angry people took to the streets in the city of Mahendranagar on Friday, accusing police of protecting the person responsible for the brutal crime.
Police officer Krishna Raj Ojha told AFP news agency on Saturday that 17-year-old Sani Khuna was killed after officers fired shots during the violent protests that had broken out.
According to the Kathmandu Post, Khuna died while being taken to hospital for treatment.
The publication said that several other protesters, as well as police personnel, were injured in the clashes.
An indefinite curfew has been imposed in the area by the police, near the border with India’s Uttarakhand state.
Schoolgirl Nirmala Panta went missing in late July and her body was found the following day in a sugar-cane field.
The locals got angry and agitated after police arrested a man who is said to have severe learning difficulties, and whom protesters say is a scapegoat allowing officers to shield the real culprit.
The victim’s family have also accused police of failing to take action over her death. “The state has not taken the cases of rape and violence against women seriously,” women’s rights activist Hima Bista. “Protection is being provided to the rape-accused time and again,” she added.
There are more rallies that have been planned for Saturday across Nepal. In the capital, Kathmandu, around 1,500 people staged a silent protest under a heavy police presence.
The hashtags #RageAgainstRape and #JusticeForNirmala have been trending on Twitter to bring about awareness and to call for justice.
There were 1,480 reported rapes in Nepal last year, according to recently released police data, almost double the number reported in 2016.
Activists say the rise is due to more women reporting violence to the police, but also say many more still go unreported in deeply patriarchal Nepal.
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