Durbarmarg rape case: Probe committee submits report, 3 police officers recommended for suspension

KATHMANDU: A probe committee formed to investigate into the Landmark Hotel rape case in Durbarmarg has submitted its report to the Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu, on Thursday.

The five-member panel has recommended to suspend DSP Tirak Bharati, Inspector Laxman Singh Thakuri and Sub Inspector Chandra Bahadur Bhandari and take stern action as per the prevailing Nepal Police regulations.

SP Ramdatta Joshi, at the Metropolitan Police Range Hanumandhoka, said the four alleged suspects Bikash Gautam, Sailesh Karki, Deepak Shrestha and Ravi Paudel, who are at large, would be arrested soon.

The victim had filed an FIR against them at the Durbarmarg-based Metropolitan Police Circle on January 22.

In a heinous crime like rape, officials who were involved in luring the victim with monetary value for mediating to sign a reconciliation paper with the accused, and not conducting investigation into the case, have been identified and would face the music, it said in a statement today.

Earlier, the victim (22) had gone to stay over at a Landmark Hotel in Darbarmarg with her beau on January 21. The very next morning she rushed to the Kamalpokhari-based Metropolitan Police Circle to file an FIR against four perpetrators including her boyfriend Karki.

The victim had claimed that she was gang raped by four persons on that dreadful night.

The case came to limelight after the Durbarmarg-based Metropolitan Police Circle officials declined to register an FIR against the accused rapist, and instead tried to settle down the case in exchange of monetary value.