A case of Maina Sunuwar, who was killed in detention of the Nepal Army in 2004, has been moved to the High Court under the “regular” judicial procedure.

A group of Army personnel on February 17, 2004 had detained Sunuwar, then 15, from her home in Kharelthok for her alleged links to then rebel Maoists. She was murdered after torture in the Army barracks. 

On April 17, the Kavre District Court sentenced three former Army officials Bobby Khatri, Amit Pun and Sunil Adhikari, who were stationed at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Centre in Panchkhal, Kavre at the time of the incident, to 20 years in jail. 

The convicts were not present in the court when the verdict was delivered so they cannot file an appeal against the decision. 

Since the penalty is life imprisonment, the district court’s verdict has to be recognised by the higher court. The case will be finalised after the Apex Court makes a decision, said Medini Prasad Poudyal, the Kavre District Judge.