For rights activist Ruby Khan, the pursuit of justice has become a lifelong mission.

Khan, who has been on a hunger strike at the premises of the District Police Office in Banke for the past 14 days, was admitted to Nepalgunj Medical College after her health deteriorated. She has, however, continued the protest from her hospital bed.

Khan launched the indefinite hunger strike on April 28 with a nine-point demand, including immediate prosecution in the cases involving Nirmala Kurmi and Gudiya Kahar, further investigation into the death of child Dipesh Chamar, and action against doctors accused of referring him elsewhere without treatment.

She has also demanded fair and effective investigations and legal action against those allegedly involved in the cases.

Khan said repeated efforts by rights activists to push authorities to act in the Nirmala Kurmi case had been ignored, forcing her to launch a sixth round of hunger strikes.

“The police administration has repeatedly tried to suppress our voices,” Khan said. “We still have hope in the current government, but our struggle will continue until action is taken.”

She said previous agreements with the government, including a commitment to move the Nirmala Kurmi case to court after the March 5 parliamentary elections, had not been implemented, leaving victims waiting years for justice.

According to the case details, Nirmala’s husband Mahalu Kurmi died in 2006. Within four years, she also lost her two sons in 2009. Rights activists say she later faced threats, assault and dispossession of legal documents, including citizenship and property papers.

Activists, including Khan, allege that Nirmala was forcibly disappeared in 2018. Although an unverified report later claimed she died in India, her whereabouts still remain unknown.

They claim Nirmala, who owned significant land holdings, became the target of a property dispute and allege that her husband and sons were also killed. Rights groups have accused Nepali Congress leader Badshah Kurmi of involvement in the case.

Badshah, a former Constituent Assembly member elected in 2008, is currently a member of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly. Despite repeated calls by rights groups to suspend his oath and remove him from office, he also served in a ministerial role.

In January 2010, Badshah allegedly assaulted Nirmala in public while she was returning from the District Administration Office. Rights activists say he forcibly took her to his house and detained her there. Police later rescued her, but no formal action was taken against him at the time.

Following protests by women’s rights activists, Badshah apologised and returned Nirmala’s documents.

Nirmala later said threats, intimidation and abuse against her continued. On February 8, 2019, she went missing. Two years later, reports surfaced claiming she had died.

Rights activists maintain that Nirmala was abducted and killed by a group allegedly linked to Badshah. They have continued protests demanding legal action and an investigation into his alleged involvement.

On October 12, 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs formed an investigation committee led by joint secretary Hira Lal Regmi. The panel recommended an investigation into Badshah.

Later, between mid-February and mid-March 2023, a special investigation team led by Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Acharya carried out further inquiries. Rights activists say the case still has not reached court despite the completion of investigations.

The Women’s Rights Forum had filed a complaint with the Banke Police on April 2, 2021, alleging that Badshah abducted Nirmala and took her to India, where she was killed.