British court releases Nepal Army colonel on bail

KATHMANDU: A British court released a Nepali colonel, detained on charges , has been released on bail. Colonel Kumar Lama, incumbent colonel of Nepal Army, was detained by the British police on alleged charges of human rights violation during the insurgency period.

On Friday morning, the court slapped a bail amount of £10,000 to Lama and has denied him permission to leave the nation unless the case hearing is concluded.

Nepali embassy in the UK, has taken guarantee of Lama’s presence in UK unless the court hold final hearing on it. The embassy has also assured that the Nepali government will not issue travel papers for the accused colonel till the British court delivers final verdict on the court.

Colonel Lama was arrested on January 3 from Sussex while he was on family visit. Soon after the arrest, despite intense diplomatic pressure from the Nepali government, the British government had denied to negotiate Lama’s release.

He has been accused by the British court of committing multiple counts of human rights violation by torturing detainees while serving the Nepal Army in Gorusinghe Army Barrack in Kapilvastu during the conflict period.

Nepal government has slammed the arrest claiming that the arrest was against their commitment to try all war era crimes through the formation of transitional justice mechanisms.