Niharika Rajput arrested while attempting self-immolation

Rajput, a single mother from Jaleshwar Municipality-9 of Mahottari, has been staging a series of hunger strikes for the past few months demanding justice for herself and her young son.

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NL Today

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Kathmandu: Police on Friday arrested Niharika Rajput while she was attempting self-immolation outside Sheetal Niwas, the Office of President.

Security personnel arrested her at around 3:30 pm after she attempted self-immolation after drenching herself with petrol.

 Rajput has been staging a fast-unto-death at Basantapur for the past one week demanding the government enforces a five-point agreement reached with her in June.

 Rajput, a single mother from Jaleshwar Municipality-9 of Mahottari, has been staging a series of hunger strikes for the past few months demanding justice for herself and her young son. She had ended her earlier hunger strike after inking a five-point deal with the government.

Rajput had previously accused Shivaraj Shrestha from Janakpur of drugging and sexually assaulting her when she was 17 years of age, which made her a minor at the time. She became pregnant soon after and gave birth to a son as a result of the assault.

Her five-point demands were the investigation and arrest of her accused rapist Shivaraj Shrestha and a DNA test to prove her son’s parentage, a prompt investigation by the high court on the case she filed five months ago, a re-investigation into the entire case as well as an assurance of the care and safety of her 21 months old son.