After a female student alleged that Yuvraj Sangraula, the executive director of the college, abused her, 32 other students also said that they were abused.
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Students studying at Kathmandu School of Law (KSL) have alleged that they were abused, verbally abused and that the college is intolerant towards sexual and gender minorities. On February 24, a student of KSL filed a complaint about the incident of sexual harassment in the college three months ago.
But she posted a status on social media saying that the college kept silent about the incident. After that, other students of KSL have also started to make public that they are victims of similar abuse.
The abused student said that she applied to the college on December 5, 2024. She revealed that women and gender minorities are abused in the college and said that the Executive Director and former Attorney General Yuvraj Sangraula is responsible for it. He said that after writing the status, the students who studied there also faced similar abuse.
On February 27, KSL issued a statement saying that it is adopting a zero tolerance policy on any kind of discrimination, harassment and abuse. In a statement signed by Lakshmi Sapkota, Member Secretary of the College's Internal Complaints and Grievance Committee, it is said, "The process of forming an independent investigation committee to look into this matter has already started." In a conversation with the Kathmandu Post on Sunday, Sangraula responded by saying that he is a person who speaks clearly in the media and that he was accused of taking revenge because of his words.
Lawyers Room Reloaded (LRR), a Facebook page run by law students, has published a Google Form to share their experiences of harassment, abuse and other types of misbehavior experienced while studying at KSL. In which you can tell the story of the abuses you have suffered while keeping your identity confidential . In which 32 people mentioned the incidents of abuse and violence they experienced while studying KSL.
103 former students who have studied there since 2005 have issued a statement with their identities and 47 people with their signatures on the condition of keeping their identity confidential In which they recently said that a student has shown courage to raise his voice openly about abuse and sexual harassment in the college and that the cases brought forward by him show solidarity . In a statement issued by them, it is said, 'Expressions and behaviors against sexual and gender minorities, apart from insulting, hepifying and sexual comments, cannot be accepted in any institution . The voice raised by that student is not only a personal resistance, but a call for everyone who believes in justice, equality and transparency.'
A student said that Sangraula's view on gender minorities is unfair. She wrote on Facebook that this incident reminded her of the 10-day residential camp during her first year studying at KSL, 'In that class, Yuvraj sir asked - how many of you support the rights of gender and sexual minorities ?' The students said they would support the issue of gender minorities. The student also said that Sangraula gave a disrespectful and disgusting answer.
On Sunday, KSL held a press conference and said that an 'independent' investigation committee has been formed to investigate the incident. A 3-member investigation committee has been formed under the chairmanship of former district judge Srikrishna Bhattarai, including journalist Tirtha Koirala and gender discrimination expert Seema Dhami, to submit a report within 15 days. Director Sangraula will remain inactive from the administrative and other work of the college until the investigation continues, KSA said.
A student belonging to KSL Alumni has responded that they are not sure that justice will be done only by becoming an inquiry committee. In the past, the internal investigation committee within the college was not able to work and if there is a new incident, how will the college look at it? How many days does the victim get justice? What is the policy of the college in such cases? He says that the college should make it clear. He said, "How did the investigation that was started without suspending the main accused pave the way for justice?"
