My youngest son, Kubir Prasad Apgain, was disappeared by the state two years ago. He was living in a rented room in Biratnagar near the Appellate Court from where he was taken by about 15 armed men in civilian clothes. As he was being abducted, eyewitnesses said he shouted out that he was being detained. No one has seen him since. International and local activists looked for him but to no avail and his name is not on the Home Ministry list. All of us friends and relatives are drinking tears. There is some information that my son, handcuffed and blindfolded, was first taken to Itahari barracks and tortured. Then we heard he was in Ilam barracks. We still haven't lost hope that we will see him. If he has broken any laws he should be tried under existing laws-that would be acceptable. But imagine the torture his mother and relatives are going through not knowing whether he is alive or dead. The state should understand this.

Subhadra Apgain,
Urlabari, Morang

My husband, Gyanendra Tripathi, was the former education chief of the ANFSU (Revolutionary) and was detained two years ago. No one has any ideas where he is today. Krishna KC, whose whereabouts was made public because of international pressure and was detained at the same time as my husband, said in an interview last week that my husband is being held in the Yuddha Bhairab barracks in Maharajganj. Another news report recently quoted a prisoner taken to Sundarijal who said Gyanendra Tripathi and 48 others were being held in Maharjganj. In another news report in July, human rights activist Sudip Pathak said my husband had been located and was alive. Despite these reports, the government is not concerned about the uncertainty and grief this situation is causing us, his family members. Please find him.

Sharmila Tripathi,
Kathmandu