Dhangadi, November 21

Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa today said the probe into 13-year-old Nirmala Panta’s rape and murder in Bhimdatta Municipality would not be concluded until Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa put in his papers.

Speaking at a programme organised by NC Kanchanpur at Mahendranagar, Thapa said the person guilty of raping and murdering Panta would not be booked as long as Minister Thapa remained in charge of the home ministry. “I spoke in the Parliament. I had questioned the minister’s ability to find the guilty. The minister’s remarks and deeds in the past one-and-a-half months show the time has come for many parents like that of Nirmala’s to fight for justice,” Thapa added. He said, “Immunity has been granted to the criminals. “

Thapa demanded the resignation of the home minister and asked the government to provide security to people. “Minister Thapa should put in his papers. This might be personally disappointing for him, but it will help people regain trust and confidence in the government,” Thapa held.

Thapa today reached Kanchanpur DAO where Nirmala’s parents are staging an indefinite sit-in demanding immediate arrest of guilty persons.

Upon meeting Panta’s parents at the sit-in site, Thapa accused the government of taking the incident very lightly.  He assured Nirmala’s parents he would talk to the government and his party leadership for justice to Nirmala. “I will carry your message to the prime minister and NC president,” Thapa pledged.