A 16-year-old boy from Nepaltar in ward 6 of Udayapurgadhi Rural Municipality has been living with an iron chain tied to his leg due to lack of medical treatment for his physical and mental illnesses.

The boy, Bishal, who is both physically and mentally challenged, cannot walk, talk or understand others properly. His condition has worsened over time due to lack of medical attention.

Bishal’s father, Sushil Tamang, left for India to work in coal mines when the boy was just two years old. A few months later, his mother remarried a man from a neighbouring village and took Bishal with her. After about seven years, Sushil returned home and searched for his wife and son but could not find them. He went back to India and eventually returned to Nepal in 2021 after losing a toe in a mining accident. He later remarried and moved to Bhadaure in ward 6 of Udayapurgadhi due to financial hardship.

Two years ago, Sushil discovered that his son was left in the care of the current in-laws of the boy’s mother after she left for India to earn a living. Around six months ago, he brought Bishal to a rented room in Nepaltar. Although he wanted to provide treatment, he couldn’t afford the cost.

“They believed he was possessed by spirits and only took him to shamans for years,” said Bodh Kumar Ghimire, a local. “Had he received timely medical care, his condition might have improved.”

Now unable to afford proper treatment, Sushil has been forced to keep his son chained to prevent him from wandering off. “If not tied, he runs away blindly,” said Bishal’s stepmother. The boy cannot even eat properly and despite his worsening condition no one has stepped in to help.

“This is a serious human rights violation,” said Sirjana Paudel, a central member of the NGO Federation of Nepal. “The state must act as the guardian when there is no one else. All the authorities concerned should ensure his rescue and treatment,” she added.

Sushil once took Bishal to Nobel Hospital in Biratnagar, but the high cost of treatment forced him to return home without care. “I’m disabled myself and can barely feed my family through manual labor. I have nothing left for my son’s treatment,” he lamented.

Man Bahadur Kepchhaki, chairman of Udayapurgadhi Rural Municipality said he was unaware of the case. “I had heard of another mentally ill girl from Nepaltar, but no one informed me about this boy,” he said.

Human rights activists have called for immediate intervention, stressing that chaining a child is a grave violation of child rights. They have criticised the government authorities and political parties for ignoring the issue, urging for his immediate rescue and treatment.