May 12, Kathmandu- It has been alleged that the police were also used to separate a couple who were trying to get married.

Rights activists from the sexual and gender minority community have alleged that the police were used to separate two homosexual women from Dhading and Chitwan who were in a living relationship.

According to the plan of an organization called Mayako Pahichan Nepal, Ramila and her friend had gone to Sunkoshi Rural Municipality in Sindhuli to arrange a consensual marriage. However, at that time, Ramila's sister-in-law had filed a complaint with the police saying that she was missing.

"They had gone after the police called them to the office. As mentioned in the complaint, they had not run away, they were in constant contact with their family", said Sunilbabu Pant, the director of the organization. "When Ramila told the police that she had been a victim of abuse and beatings by her family for a long time, Lalitpur Police SSP Shyam Krishna Adhikari did not show seriousness and used abusive words in a derogatory manner".

It is said that the police then handed her over to her sister-in-law. According to the Supreme Court's order of 12 Ashad 2080, same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Nepal.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Home Affairs' National Identity Card and Registration Department on 12 Baisakh 2081 gave legal authority to all municipalities to register same-sex marriages. However, same-sex couples who get married still face social boycott and legal hassles.

Surendra Pandey, an official of the organization and the first same-sex marriage in South Asia, has demanded that the safety of Ramila and her partner be ensured.

“If they want to live together with mutual consent, there should be no interference,” he said. “A fair investigation should be conducted and necessary disciplinary action should be taken against the police officers involved in the incident.”

Lalitpur Police Chief Shyam Krishna Adhikari said that a search operation was launched after the family filed a complaint alleging that a woman was missing.

"Both had been wandering for 7/8 days, when they were found, they said they wanted to live together. They said they were getting married, it would take about 15 days," he said. "I had asked them to live together after marriage because they had received a request from their families, but they should move the process forward, and if they wanted peace and security, they should submit a request."

Stating that he would not use abusive words when there were family members and other service recipients in the office, he said, "When the family came with a search request, we should hand them over to the family in the absence of marriage, that's what was done."