Amnesty International in a recent report has said that authorities in Nepal have failed to conduct fair and impartial investigations into several cases of custodial deaths, reported the Kathmandu Post. 

In its global report, the global watchdog said, authorities in Nepal stated suicide as the reason behind most custodial deaths. The report noted several family members of dead people claimed that their wards were tortured to death. 

The report noted at least six cases of such deaths in the country in 2020. It said a fair and impartial investigation was never conducted into such incidents. 

“Although the 2017 Criminal Code criminalizes torture and other ill-treatment, no one had been convicted under it by the end of 2020,” says the report. “Several allegations of deaths due to torture were reported, particularly of Dalits and indigenous people,” it added. 

Amnesty International requested authorities in Nepal to conduct a fair and proper investigation into the cases.

The report further highlighted how security forces arrested and detained several human rights activists who were demanding investigations into the crimes during the war era. Many bills, that are detrimental to rights and free speech, are still pending in the national assembly, it noted.

"Despite serious reservations from different quarters, the government hasn’t withdrawn different bills registered in the federal parliament that curtail the freedom of expression," the report said.