Human Rights Commission investigates child-labour case involving province lawmaker Sharma

Kathmandu / Feb 12: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has initiated an investigation into the case of child labour and exploitation involving Rekha Kumari Sharma, a member of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly from the CPN-UML. Sharma is accused of detaining a young girl and forcing her into domestic work.

The investigation was prompted by media reports claiming that government prosecutors were preparing to drop the case. Following these reports, the NHRC initiated its inquiry into the matter.

“The commission today contacted the High Government Attorney’s Office in Patan and the District Government Attorney’s Office in Kathmandu, asking them to submit a detailed report from Nepal Police within seven days, including the prosecutor’s recommendations on the case,” the constitutional rights body said in a statement on Wednesday.

The incident dates back to May 27 when Kathmandu Metropolitan City rescued a 14-year-old girl. Before the rescue operation, interns from the education department at the Metropolis conducted surveys to assess the living conditions of children staying in homes outside their family networks. The girl, a seventh-grade student, revealed that she had been kept as a domestic worker by UML lawmaker Sharma. She was reportedly tasked with cooking, washing clothes, tending to the garden, and cleaning the house, among other chores. The girl also disclosed that she had often been physically abused by Sharma, who allegedly beat her with hands and a pipe.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, through his social media post, assured the victim girl on Tuesday that she would get justice and encouraged to continue her study. “Don’t get panicked. Time will come,” the mayor wrote on social media.