Why was Lumbini Provincial Assembly member Rekha Sharma arrested?
She has been taken into custody for further investigation under child protection laws.
KATHMANDU: A provincial assembly member from Lumbini Province, Rekha Kumari Sharma, has been arrested in Kathmandu on allegations of employing a minor as a domestic worker and committing offences against children, police said.
A team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office detained Sharma at around 11 pm on Sunday.
She has been taken into custody for further investigation under child protection laws.
According to authorities, the case dates back to Jestha 14, 2081 (late May 2024), when a team from Kathmandu Metropolitan City rescued a young girl from Sharma’s residence during a survey. The minor reportedly told officials she had been subjected to continuous abuse, prompting her rescue.
A formal complaint was registered at the Kathmandu District Police Range on Jestha 30, 2081 (12 June , 2024). However, the District Government Attorney’s Office Kathmandu had initially prepared to drop the case.
The file, recommending no prosecution, was later forwarded through higher legal channels up to the Office of the Attorney General.
At the time, then Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah publicly criticised the decision, stating that justice would eventually prevail and urging children to stay strong and educated in the face of injustice.
Police say further investigation into the case is ongoing.
