Kathmandu, August 25

The Cabinet meeting in Baluwatar today endorsed the Ministry of Home Affairs’ decision to suspend Superintendent of police Dilli Raj Bista, the investigating officer in the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta.

Following Nepal Communist Party (NCP) secretariat’s direction to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take stern action against the culprit, the Cabinet, which was supposed to form a High level Judicial Commission led by a former justice, endorsed the five-member probe committee led by a joint-secretary which was formed yesterday to probe Nirmala’s rape and murder.

“The Cabinet endorsed the home ministry’s decision and termed the decision of the all-party meeting in Kanchanpur a positive attempt,” Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav told THT. He said the government decided to provide compensation of 10 lakh rupees to the kin of Nirmala and Shani Khuna. The latter died in police firing yesterday. The meeting also decided to provide medical treatment to the injured.

Leaders from Province 7 have demanded a high-level Judicial Commission to investigate the incident. Those leaders today met PM Oli and NCP (NCP) Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Oli and Dahal committed to bring the culprit(s) to book.