Nepal

Kathmandu, June 28

The Supreme Court today issued writ of certiorari in response to a petition filed by visually impaired climber Amit KC against the governmentdecision to bar double amputee and visually impaired persons from climbing mountains. The SC is yet to prepare the full text of the verdict.

In March 2018, the SC had issued stay order against the governmentdecision, allowing double amputee and visually impaired persons to obtain climbing permits to climb any mountains above 6,500 metres, including Mt Everest, the worldhighest peak.

The constitutional bench of the SC comprising Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana, Deepak Kumar Karki, Kedar Chalise, Meera Khadka and Hari Krishna Karki issued the writ of certiorari.

The petitioner had filed the case last year against the government after it revised clause of the mountaineering expedition regulation that bars double amputee and visually impaired persons from climbing mountains.

Visually impaired KC had reached near South Col by obtaining permit to climb Mt Everest in the spring season of 2017.

KC had argued that he had been preparing for Mount Everest expedition and had received Rs 1.5 million from the government in the course of his preparation. He stated in his writ that if the government barred double amputee and visually impaired people from scaling peaks, that would hurt the self-respect of differently abled persons.

He also stated that the governments& decision to bar double amputee and visually impaired persons from climbing mountains violated their fundamental rights and undermined their prestige.

Earlier, the governmentmove to bar differently-abled persons, including those with double amputation, from climbing peaks had drawn wide criticism from around the world.

According to climbing records, Erik Weihenmayer of US (visually-impaired), New Zealander Mark Inglis (double leg amputee), Arunima Sinha of India (without left leg), Rob Hill of Canada (with Crohndisease) and Nepali-born Canadian Sudarshan Gautam (double hand amputee) had successfully scaled Mt Everest in the past.

Hari Bahadur Budha Magar also became the first double amputee above the knee to climb Mera Peak (6,476m), the countryhighest trekking peak, in the last autumn season.

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Kathmandu, June 27

Police yesterday arrested a person for allegedly raping a minor in Chabahil.

The rape suspect has been identified as Chhiri Dawa Sherpa, 30, of Dolakha district.

According to a complaint lodged with Gaushala-based Metropolitan Police Circle, Sherpa had lured the 15-year-old girl before raping her in his room. Kathmandu District Court has remanded him to seven-day judicial custody for legal action.

Further investigation into the case is under way, said police.

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Kathmandu, June 28

CT scan machine at National Trauma Centre has remained non-functional for the past eight months as the centre is unable to repair the machinetube.

A 16 slice CT scan machine of the hospital stopped working after a tube in the machine stopped working. The machine is capable of acquiring 16 images per rotation. &The maintenance cost of the tube is around Rs 80 lakhs,& said Pramod Kumar Yadav, medical superintendent at the centre. The centre stated that it would resume the service within a month.

CT scan aids pinpointing tumour location, infections and blood clots. It helps to diagnose muscle and bone disorders such as bone tumours and fractures. It is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer, cardiac diseases, lungs and liver diseases.

The hospital receives around 500 patients each day. Of them at least 20 patients need CT scan service. Lack of regular maintenance of the machine has compelled patients to visit private health facilities for the service.

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Kathmandu, June 28

Police have arrested the prime suspect in a series of attacks on women with a pointed metal object after two weeks of massive manhunt.

A special team of Teku-based Metropolitan Police Range took Santosh Karki, 30, into custody last night from Maharajgunj where he used to run a restaurant. Karki, who hails from Ramechhap district, had been residing in Naikap. He also worked in Saudi Arabia for five years before returning home in 2017.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati, MPR spokesperson, said the motorcycle-borne suspect used to target women walking alone in the evening or at night while returning to his rented room from the restaurant.

Karki used to puncture arms or backs of women who came in his way and fleethe scene without giving victims any time to note his bikeregistration number. Most of the victims are from Dallu, Tankeshwor and Sorhakhutte areas.

According to police, Karki has confessed to attacking the women with a ‘nail&.

Police have impounded the motorcycle that Karki rode while attacking women. However, police have yet to retrieve the ‘sharp metal object& that Karki used to attack women.

In a statement recorded at MPR, Karki said he pricked women with the ‘sharp metal object& only for his self-satisfaction and did not have any intention to transmit any disease. Karki told police that he had targeted six women.

&We are investigating whether he had any intention of transmitting disease to victims,& DSP Bogati told THT. He said Karki had operated without any accomplice.

The first incident of the attack was reported in Swoyambhu in mid-April. At least eight women have been pricked with the ‘pointed metal object& since then. Police had registered five complaints since June 20.

According to Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, as many as eight women visited the health facility for counselling and treatment on suspicion of being infected with HIV and hepatitis through the prick wound. It stated that their health was normal.

DSP Bogati said police had launched a manhunt to nab the suspect on the basis of a CCTV footage of a woman attacked by a rider at night while she was taking her dog for a walk in Dallu. Kathmandu District has remanded Karki to five-day judicial custody for further investigation into the charge under Section 104 of the Criminal Code Act that prohibits any offence that will or may transmit any infectious disease to others.

The guilty in such cases are liable for punishment with imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine not exceeding Rs 100,000.

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