Cases filed against Manoj Pandey seeking 18 years imprisonment

NL Today

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Kathmandu: Two cases demanding maximum imprisonment of 18 years have been filed against Manoj Pandey accused of raping a minor girl in the pretext of a beauty pageant.

The District Government Attorney Office, Kathmandu on Wednesday filed cases at Kathmandu District Court demanding jail terms for child sexual abuse and human trafficking, and transportation offenses. A jail term of 10 to 15 years has been sought under the human trafficking and transportation offense and three years jail term for child sexual abuse.

[Related‘I was just crying and feeling helpless’: Alleged rape victim reveals horrifying series of incidents ]

Pandey was arrested on the charge of raping a girl some eight years ago after a young woman shared her story on social media about how she was assaulted and abused by an unnamed person who was the organizer of a beauty pageant in which she had participated around 2014. The videos, that went viral on social media, had exposed how the victims of sexual abuse are forced to stay silent for years fearing reprisal and lack of faith in the judicial system.

Protests were held in Kathmandu demanding justice for the victim and lifting the statute of limitation on rape and sexual violence cases.