'Bring back Col Lama'

A parliamentary committee has directed the government to initiate diplomatic efforts to repatriate Nepal Army (NA) colonel Kumar Lama to Nepal.

Lama is now undergoing a trial in the UK. He was arrested by the UK authorities two years ago when he visited his family in East Sussex, England. He faces charges of extrajudicial detention and torture during the decade-long Maoist insurgency that killed 17,000 people in Nepal.

On Friday, the Social Justice and Human Rights Committee of the parliament instructed the government, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to repatriate Lama and probe allegations leveled against him through the recently-formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

At the parliamentary committee's meeting, lawmakers said Lama's arrest was a breach of national sovereignty and criticised the government for not doing enough to bring him back home.

Law Minister Narhari Acharya said the government would do its best to bring back Lama as per the parliamentary committee's directive. Earlier, the parliamentary committee had summoned Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to enquire about Lama's case. As Prime Minister could not make it, Law Minister spoke on behalf of the government in the meeting.

Lama has been charged with detaining and torturing people when he was at the NA barrack in Gorusinge of Kapilvastu district in 2005. The UK authorities have charged him under the section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act-1988.

Earlier, the government had written to the UK government for Lama's release. Lama was later released on a bail with a condition that he will not leave the UK unless his trial is over.