Woman hospitalised with serious head trauma inflicted by husband

Sindupalchowk/Nov 6, Bibhed Birudh Abhiyan.

In yet another case of domestic violence, a woman from Sangachowk VDC of Sindhupalchok district is receiving treatment in the Capital after she was assaulted by her husband.

The victim, 44-year-old Sanukanchhi BK is undergoing treatment at the Gwarko-based B&B Hospital after her husband, Krishna Bahadur, attacked her with a rod and a rock.

Krishna Bahadur is currently in custody.

“This is the fifth time that my father brutally assaulted my mother,” daughter Sarita BK told the Post. “He does not live with us. But he visits sometime and abuses my mother.

Last time the couple had got into a fight, the local community and the District Administration Office (DAO) of Sindhupalchok had to intervene. Then, Krishna Bahadur was allowed to walk free without punishment.

Sanukanchhi’s daughter said this time too the DAO is trying to settle the case through reconciliation. But they would have none of that, and the victim’s daughter, Sarita, also has a similar opinion.

“This is not the solution,” Sarita said. “If they let my father go, there is no guarantee he will not repeat his action.”

She claimed that she too had been assaulted by her father in the past. She said the beatings stopped after her marriage.

Krishna Bahadur is a Nepal Army soldier, currently stationed at the Jagadal Battalion. He and Sanukanchhi have been married for over 30 years, but they have been living separately for several years now.

Doctors at B&B said that there is no serious threat to Sanukanchhi, but they doubt if she will recover mentally since she has suffered head injury.

“As she has sustained a severe blow to her head, we have to wait until she regains her full consciousness to say anything with certainty,” said a hospital staff.

Sanukanchhi’s is not an isolated case of domestic violence in the country. 

According to a report prepared by Women Rehabilitation Centre, domestic violence tops the chart of violence against women with husbands as main perpetrators.

Chairperson of Forum for Women, Law and Development Meera Dhungana said the concept of dispute mediation between family members by local authority has been abused. “Mediation is only for minor cases of domestic dispute, but authorities try to solve major cases of violence by themselves, resulting in repeat offenders,” she said.

According to Dhungana, National Women’s Commission, local police and local government have the power to mediate in cases of domestic violence within 30 days of the incident. If they fail, the case is forwarded to the court.

“There is a tendency among such bodies to force couples into reconciling, so that they could be seen as doing real work,” Dhungana said. “There is also lack of training among officials working in women’s cell at police stations to handle such cases.”