Nepal’s apex court stays promotion of senior army official

The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the government not to implement the latter’s decision to promote Major General Toran Jung Bahadur Singh to Lieutenant General till next Sunday when the court is scheduled to hold a discussion on whether to stay his promotion.

In his ruling in response to a writ petition filed against Singh’s promotion, Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma asked the government not to implement its decision to promote Singh till next Sunday. Chief Justice Sharma also ordered the government and Singh to send their lawyers to take part in the discussion on Sunday.

Singh began his work as lieutenant general—the second in command of the national army-- from December 27 following the government’s decision.

The UCPN (Maoist) central member Krishna KC and Maoist student leaders Himal Sharma and Bina Magar had filed a writ petition against Singh’s promotion. The petitioners argued that they witnessed the human rights violations committed in the Bhairabnath Battalion during 2003-2004 when Singh was in the chain of command of that battalion.

A division bench scheduled to hear the case will decide whether to continue the stay order or nullify it.

Despite pressure from various national and international rights organizations not to take the decision in view of his poor human rights records in the past, the government on December 24 promoted Major General Singh to Lieutenant General of the Nepal Army (NA).

A report by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-N) in 2006 alleges that the NA´s Bhairabnath Battalion was involved in arbitrary detention, torture and disappearance of alleged Maoists during 2003 to 2004 when Singh was commander of the 10th Brigade comprising three battalions including Bhairabnath.

The OHCHR-N maintained that Singh was not directly involved in the arbitrary detention, torture and disappearances at Bhairabnath Battalion from 2003 to 2004 but he was in the chain of command at the time when the disappearance of 49 detainees took place.

- Asian Tribune -