Police sub-inspector arrested in connection with death of prisoner in Kailali jail

Dhangadhi: A Nepal Police Sub-Inspector has been arrested in connection with the death of 28-year-old Harish Singh Pali, a prisoner from Bhageshwor Rural Municipality-5, Dadeldhura, who died while in custody at Kailali Prison.

Deputy Inspector of Police (DI) Harjit Nath, posted at the District Police Office in Kailali, was taken into custody based on a formal complaint filed by the victim’s family, confirmed District Police Office spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajkumar Singh.

Nath was also the plaintiff in a banking offence case in which Pali was the defendant. The District Court had sentenced Pali to 10 days of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 200,000 in Falgun 2080 BS. Pali was arrested by Kailali police from Dadeldhura on Jestha 29, brought to Dhangadhi on Jestha 30, and was sent to jail on Asad 1 after being produced in court.

On the night of Asad 2 at around 10:30 PM, Pali was found unconscious near the bathroom inside the prison and was immediately rushed to Seti Provincial Hospital, where he died during treatment. The body has remained in the hospital morgue pending post-mortem.

Pali’s wife, Janaki Saund, had initially filed a complaint against five individuals, including prison chief Basant Bahadur Khatri, alleging that her husband was beaten and murdered on the orders of Nath. However, after police asked her to amend the complaint, a revised version naming only Nath was submitted on Thursday.

Following Nath’s arrest, the victim’s family agreed to receive the body after the autopsy. Visible injuries on Pali’s body have led the family to accuse the police of premeditated murder.