“This appeal is regarding Uddhav Bhandari, the Nepalese asylum seeker who died recently after he poured petrol on himself and set himself on fire in the Immigration and appeal tribunal buildings in Glasgow earlier this month.
A post mortem has been carried out and Uddhav’s body can be released to his wife and family who are in Nepal. Uddhav’s family are extremely poor and do not have the funds to pay for the funeral and airline costs.
Positive Action in Housing are therefore launching an urgent appeal for donations to the Uddhav Bhandari Appeal to return his body to Nepal so that his family can grieve properly and organise his funeral arrangements according to Nepalese culture.
Without this appeal, there is every likelihood that Uddhav’s body could be left in a Glasgow morgue indefiintely, similar to an iraqi Kurd whose body was left in a Kent mortuary for three years before we organised donations from our supporters.
The total cost of the funeral and airline costs to return Uddhav Bhandari to Nepal is £3,997. If 100 people give £40.00 each this would achieve the total target. But please donate as much or as little as you can afford, every little bit will help. The sooner the money is raised the sooner Uddhav’s body can be sent back to Nepal. We will publish the money raised so far on our website at www.paih.org.
Thank you”
Robina Qureshi, Director
If you think you can help, please contact a member of PAiH staff by calling 0141 353 2220 or email jamie@paih.org
14 responses so far ↓
Robert McKenzie // March 30, 2007 at 5:05 pm |
I was notified of this report on Uddhav Bhandari which gives different account of the real reasons as to why Mr. Bhandari had to flee Nepal. Perhaps this account also offers an alternate reason as to why Mr. Bhandari chose to end his life in the way he did. This account should be made available to all who contributed to Mr. Bhandari’s appeal. Any person wishing to check out this story can do so at:- http:/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Rest_of_World/UK_suicide_ends_Nepal_sleaze_saga/articleshow/1790562.cms
UK suicide ends Nepal sleaze saga
Sudeshna Sarkar
[ 21 Mar, 2007 2309hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
KATHMANDU: A murky incident in Nepal five years ago that caused the suicide of a young actress and exposed the exploitation of women in the kingdom’s entertainment industry has been laid to rest with the death of the perpetrator in the UK.
Uddhav Bhandari, a former police inspector, died in Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary on Sunday after setting himself ablaze the previous week. Bhandari, living in Edinburgh since the Shrisha Karki scandal in Nepal in 2002, had been fighting a legal battle to win asylum in UK.
In his application, he had described himself as the bodyguard of queen Aishwarya, who was killed in the royal palace massacre in 2001. The documents he submitted included a photograph showing him standing behind the late queen. Bhandari, who claimed his life would be in jeopardy if he returned to Nepal, set himself alight outside the tribunal that was to decide his fate on Wednesday.
Though he claimed to the UK authorities that he had exposed corruption in Nepal, he is known as the man who tricked and threatened Shrisha Karki, a young model and actress, into allowing him to take her nude photographs. Nepal’s media sources say Bhandari carried a portfolio of several other aspiring models and starlets who were blackmailed by him and his friends.
Shrisha’s photos made its way to a Nepali weekly, creating a furore. Four days after the publication of the photos, she hanged herself. Though two journalists who wrote the report were arrested and faced social censure, no action was ever taken against Bhandari, who left for Scotland.
Nepali weekly Ghatana R Bichar says he could afford to live in one of the rich in the UK due to the fortune he had amassed illegally while being posted at the Kathmandu airport.
Ali // April 4, 2007 at 11:04 am |
Oh, well done Robert! Aren’t you so smart to have found this piece? Oh sorry, you were “notified” of it, lol!
Did it not occur to you that a lot of people who donated to the appeal had already saw this article and the others like it, but thought that there are two sides to every story? And donated money anyway because they thought it was the right thing to do?
The man’s dead, it’s over. Please give it a rest you sad, troubled man!
Michael Woods // April 5, 2007 at 8:27 pm |
I am sure our wise and erudite commentator R Mackkensie enjoys the small power he feels he gets from being a man who is “notified” of such things. On the other hand his comments are only ever aimed at making life ever more miserable for someone. Uddhav Bhandari was desperate enough to immolate himself, Mckenzie whilst denigrating the people from various countries nevertheless relies on news reports from them. When it suits his purposes.
We have many words for his kind of person, pathetic as he is he’s also quite poisinous and all his corrosive arguments must be rebutted.
In the ideal world in his silly head there would be no emergency services because our misfortunes would be our own fault. I bet you make good use of the full spectrum of help in this society though Robbie. Why not just crawl back under your stone and let people do good things for each other without your poisinous commentary. Don’t like what I’ve said ? Sue me. mwacogit@hotmail.com.
Robert McKenzie // April 18, 2007 at 9:24 pm |
Reply to Ali:- Thank you very much for your welcoming praise of ‘Oh, well done Robert!’ – and from such an unlikely source. So sorry for not replying to your comment sooner. I’ve been in lengthy correspondence with our Home Office and Immigration Directorate in some extremely worthwhile talks. Can’t understand why some sections of the public are so hostile to these people – they are a fine body of people and extremely pleasant to work with. Must say I was surprised that your welcoming comment and my own were the only two made in reply to my comment on the ‘Uddhav Bhandari’ story. Yes, it did occur to me that there were two sides to this story but from my scanning of the PAiH website I could only find one side. Taking into account that the public were being asked to donate to an appeal I felt it was only fair to acquaint them with the ‘two sides to the story.’ I agree with you that ‘the man’s dead, it’s over and and to let the ‘sad, troubled man’ rest. Perhaps the same sentiments could be applied to the death of Firsat Yildiz (was that his real name?) the 22 year old asylum seeker murdered in Glasgow. Instead of continually reminding the Glasgow people of the circumstances in which Mr. Yildiz died, perhaps Mr. Yildiz could be allowed to ‘rest.’ And isn’t it mystifying that whenever there is cause to investigate the backgrounds of asylum seekers, one finds that all is not as they claim. Clearly both these individuals could be classed as ‘bogus asylum seekers’ (am I permitted to use that phrase?) and had our Home Office made a more thorough investigation into their asylum applications, both these individuals might be alive today and one of my own might not be serving a lengthy prison sentence. Thanks again Ali for your support, much appreciated, lol!
Eilidh Lane // April 19, 2007 at 8:42 pm |
It’s great to hear all the positive comments from so many caring people and really sad, though unsurprising, to hear the negative attidudes come through. I wish more people had the opportunity (and inclination)to sit with an individual who is seeking asylum and hear their traumatic story first-hand. Sadly, many individuals seeking asylum do not receive adequate support with their cases and are refused asylum when it should be granted – FACT.
Shiela // April 20, 2007 at 11:24 pm |
Edith. Why do you class those whose positive comments agree with yours as ‘caring people’ and those whose negative comments don’t as sad? What’s positive about thousands of asylum seeking immigrants landing in Glasgow and clogging up our already overcrowded health services? What’s positive about their children being dropped off into our schools when many of them can’t even speak Engish? What’s positive about our legal services being used to keep them here when they refuse to leave when the outcome is negative? What’s positive about the £millions we are squandering on their upkeep?
You mention the asylum seekers’ traumatic storys. What about the cases of Uddhav Bhandari and Firsat Yildiz – both presented their ‘traumatic stories’ and both their stories when investigated proved to be a pack of lies. You state as ‘FACT’ that asylum seekers are refused asylum when it should be granted. It’s not enough for YOU to declare your statements as ‘FACT’ So let’s have FACTS backed up by sources and substantiations.
Edith (apparently) // April 24, 2007 at 10:32 pm |
Why are you so angry? Tell us more if it makes you feel better.
Please don’t misquote me (twice). Maybe you should re-read my entry.
P.s. I find it concerning that an individual who complains children of asylum seekers can’t even speak “Engish”, can’t even spell it. Or “storys”.
Ali // April 26, 2007 at 10:53 pm |
“I’ve been in lengthy correspondence with our Home Office and Immigration Directorate in some extremely worthwhile talks”.
I’m really surprised that they failed to inform you that they’ve now changed their name to the ‘Borders and Immigration Agency’ at some point during those “talks” and “correspondence”. Or did you not notice that the letterhead had changed? Pay attention (as you like to say).
“Firsat Yildiz (was that his real name?)”, no his name was actually Firsat Yildiz Dag, and no, it was in no way his fault that Robert Burnie and his friend decided to take their drunken spite out on him (wrong place, really wrong time). What a disgusting thing to say! You really should be ashamed of yourself for that one and you know it.
And, no, you shouldn’t say “bogus Asylum Seekers”. It has a term that has no legal meaning (ask the BIA the next time your correspond with them) as anyone who claims asylum must go through the (flawed) legal
process designed to ascertain whether they are or not under the terms of the convention (that is, after all, why they call them Asylum SEEKERS.)
Lastly, I wasn’t referring to Mr Bhandari when I said “sad, troubled man”. Once more, pay attention (or read my post again, you seem to have a lot of time in which to do so).
Shiela // April 26, 2007 at 11:30 pm |
Edith (apparently). So I missed out the ‘l’ in English. I used ‘story’ instead of ‘stories’. If you read along the comment you will see I have given the correct spelling, twice. There, no need for you to fret. Perhaps if you ventured to submit longer comments you would make the occasional slip, as you have done, twice.
Now that we’ve disposed of the petty stuff – why didn’t you supply sources to substantiate YOUR FACTS? Why didn’t you reply to any of the comments posted? You’ve been given the privilege to publish your opinions, don’t use petty reasons to hide. Why are you so timid? ‘Tell us more.’
P.S. There, that’s the correct usage of ‘P.S.’.
Michael Woods // April 28, 2007 at 5:20 pm |
Interestingly both those who complain most vociferously about asylum seekers display a singular lack of accuracy in the one language they claim to wish to protect. Shiela ( your spelling ) you spelt the very Scottish name Eilidh as Edith, are you and Robert related as he in both his guises misspells Qureshi ?
Btw our health service is clogged by us because we insist on eating food that many animals would refuse, drinking to excess and smoking. The influx of asylum-seekers has made hardly a dent in the mass of Scots queueing up to be treated for obesity, stroke, heart- and lung-disease etc.
One more thing Robert – L O L ? ?. a bit yoof-culture old boy, what ?
shiela // May 4, 2007 at 9:05 pm |
Edith (apparently) or M.Woods.
M. Woods, You are obsessed with spelling. My spelling of Eilidh bothers you? I’ll explain. The name is set in small type. I found the ‘ili’ difficult to read as I only have about 20% vision. I’m one of the ‘afflicted’ which you feel ‘some days you just got to’ – laugh at?
Your problem is you are obsessed with Mr. McKenzie. You acquaint all as being associated with Mr. McKenzie and now you think Mr McKenzie and myself are the same. I don’t wish to be rude to you but please do not reply to me again.
Edith (apparently), I was hoping you might have replied to me but perhaps you can’t back up those facts.
MichaeL Woods // May 6, 2007 at 5:24 pm |
At 20% visual acuity you are entitled to proprietary screen readers eg Jaws and/or a magnifier. Windows has one built in Start – Programs -Accessories – Accessibility – Magnifier. It comes up at the top of the screen and defaults to 2 power but can go to 9. I have a friend who with only 2-5% acuity uses Jaws very successfully, I’m surprised no-one has told you of these wonderful aids.
Troll Outer // June 23, 2007 at 12:21 am |
MacKenzie is a troll!
paih // June 23, 2007 at 1:36 pm |
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT COMMENTS, WHICH DO NOT ADD TO THE DEBATE, MAY BE DELETED – JAMIE