Rape of Sushmita Regmi
| Date | 2014 (continuous 6 months) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Suspects | Manoj Pandey multiple undisclosed men |
| Verdict | No |
| Convictions | No |
| Sentence | No |
Rape of Sushmita Regmi were multiple rape incidents over 6 months in 2014[1] where a 16 year old female child actor and model Sushmita Regmi was drugged and raped by the organizer of the same beauty pageant event, Manoj Pandey on the success party of the beauty pageant and by other undisclosed men, for a period of 6 months after the beauty pageant event Miss Globe International 2014. Pandey, the event organizer, threatened her to leak her pictures and videos continue to sexually abuse her for subsequent 6 months. After 8 years on 18 May 2022, she posted videos sharing her story and trauma over the social media platform Tiktok which led to widespread public outrage. Tiktok took down her videos and she had to post again in Instagram.
Video Posting[edit]
On the night of 18 May 2022, a female female child actor and beauty pageant winner of Miss Globe International 2014 named Sushmita Regmi posted emotionally charged videos on Tiktok claiming rape by the Miss Globe International 2014 organizer Manoj Pandey on 2014 when she was 16 years old. Manoj Pandey used to run consultancy services named "Model Global Visas Consultancy" in Kathmandu and it's social media pages and websites have been turned down after the case spread nationwide. Tiktok initially banned her videos and she had to posted her videos again on Instagram.[2] Around 7:30 pm NST on 19 May 2022, she also posted a new video where she being emotionally broke down expressed that she was unaware of restriction of filing complaint against rape crime within one year from the rape incident.[2]
Incident[edit]
The victim shared her traumatic experiences after being victim blamed by former Miss Nepal feminist activist Malvika Subba[2]
Sushmita wanted to become a model and had participated in some beauty pageant events in the past. After receiving invitations to participate in a beauty pageant by a renowned photgrapher, she particpated in the "Miss Globe International 2014" where former Miss Nepal Malvika Subba was their choreographer. During the success party after the event, she was given a drug laced lemonade where the event organizer Pandey raped her in a hotel room[2] and filmed the event.[3] After the rape, Pandey threatened her to leak her pictures and videos, and continue to sexually abuse her for subsequent 6 months.[2] In an FIR, she claimed that she was also forced by Pandey to perform sex with other men in front of him for six months[3] She couldn't tolerate the trauma and shared the story of abuses by the event organizer Pandey to her boyfriend, with whom they went to the rapist's consultancy office and exposed him in front of the photographer and second runner up. They made the rape perpetator Pandey delete her pictures and videos. Then choreographer of the event, former Miss Nepal Malvika Subba had turned down to support the rape victim and blamed her responsible for her rape when she asked for the support.[2] Similarly, the co-winners of the beauty pageant MC Nisha Pathak, actress Archana Panthi and HR manager of SB Technology in Tinkune, Kathmandu also were aware of the case but refused support. She mentioned in her posts that her ex-boyfriends namely Anish Tiwari, Sushil Khadka and Ajeeb Rimal also further exploited her trauma.[2]
Context of rape laws[edit]
The statutory limitation in Nepal regarding the filing of complaint of rape crime restricts the victims of sexual violence to file within one year from the incident of rape. This has resulted in impunity of almost all rape perpetrators who has resumed their normal life which resulted in failure of the #MeToo Movement in Nepal. Rape is considered a social stigma in Nepal and the victims are generally blamed with "bad moral character", threatened by the perpetrator and in some cases, due to awareness levels, financial, social, familial conditions, complaints against rapes and sexual violences are usually not filed. Furthermore, rape laws in Nepal are generally considered one of the weakest in the world that has resulted in impossibility of filing of complaints by many victims within one year as limited by the statutory regulations. The rape victim Sushmita also couldn't file the complaint due to this statutory limitation.[1][4] since rape law outlawed filing within one year of the incident or turning of majority of age, she had to file the complaint under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act - 2007 which did not contain any such statutory limitation.[3]
Post incident life[edit]
Even after the series of multiple rapes by Manoj Pandey and a number of undisclosed men, she was again molested by a man in a modelling agency at Dillibazar, Kathmandu in the context of taking her measurements, thereafter which she decided to quit her career in entertainment industry and chose to study IT. Even after joining new sector, she stated that her traumatic experiences have not yet gone and she went on to face emotional and physical abuses from her co-workers and partners in the IT industry. She stated that she has attempted to recover her post trauma mental health through therapy but it didn't improve, as a result of which she finally decided to share her story to get relief from the mental burden.[2]
Sushmita shares her experiences of overcoming the trauma[2]
Reactions and Protests[edit]
The lists of reactions and protests regarding the rape incidents are:
- On 20 May 2022, the videos posted by the victim created public outrage which resulted in "Occupy Baluwatar 2.0" outrage.[5][note 1] The protest was scheduled around 9:00 am on that date to demand justice for the victim and to correct existing laws on rape.[7][8]
- On 20 May 2022 Friday, there was protests in Maitighar Mandala as well for the punishment of the perpetrators.[3]
- On 21 May 2022, the protest propelled #MeToo Movement outrage near the Prime Minister's Residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu. The protestors demanded the removal of statutory limitations of rape and sexual violences and the punishment of the perpetrators.[1]
- On 22 May 2022, the parliamentary Women and Social Committee organized an unofficial discussion where the lawmakers from mutiple political parties discussed to amend the existing statute of limitations on rape.[9]
- On 25 May 2022, six female lawmakers filed petition in the Supreme Court of Nepal for the removal of statutory limitations of filing the complaint within 1 year regarding rape and sexual violences. They called the time limitation, a violation of constitution.[6]
- On 26 May 2022, Amnesty International urged to Nepal to remove such statutory limitations of 1 year rule regarding rape and sexual violences.[10]
Punishment[edit]
On 21 May 2022, Manoj Pandey was arrested following public pressure.[11] Advocates argue that the perpetrators of this incident is difficult to get punish which makes the punishment of abettors even more difficult.[2]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ↑ "Occupy Baluwatar Campaign" first occurred in 2012 where gender based violence against female was protested, as a result, the statutory limitation for filing the complaint of rape and sexual violences from the date of such incident was increased from 35 days to 180 days.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "#MeToo gathers force but calls for sustained movement". kathmandupost.com.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Freelance make-up artiste alleges beauty pageant organiser drugged, raped her". thehimalayantimes.com. 20 May 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "EDITORIAL - Amend the law". thehimalayantimes.com. 25 May 2022.
- ↑ "Ensure Justice To Sushmita, Other Victims". GorakhaPatra.
- ↑ "In Pictures: Occupy Baluwatar 2.0". thehimalayantimes.com. 20 May 2022.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Petition filed at the top court seeking removal of statute of limitations on rape". kathmandupost.com.
- ↑ "Occupy Baluwatar 2.0: Call for changes to correct rape laws". thehimalayantimes.com. 20 May 2022.
- ↑ "Protest in Baluwatar against incidents of rape and sexual violence". kathmandupost.com.
- ↑ "Women lawmakers call for removing statute of limitations on rape cases". kathmandupost.com.
- ↑ "Nepal must remove statute of limitations on cases or rape and sexual violence: Amnesty International". kathmandupost.com.
- ↑ "Manoj Pandey, a beauty pageant organiser accused of rape, in police custody". kathmandupost.com.
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