• The suspect, a former NA soldier, was dismissed from service for his involvement in a rape case

Kathmandu, March 29 Police have arrested a person for allegedly raping a woman by taking advantage of her distress and vulnerability. Arjun Koirala, 27, of Tansen Municipality-11, Palpa, was arrested from Mitaranagar yesterday based on a complaint filed by the victim at Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajunj. Adhikari, who masqueraded as a medical doctor, targeted the woman attending to her ailing mother at the Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Bansbari. “He misled the woman identifying himself as a doctor and claiming that he had a good rapport with the hospital administration. He assured the victim of extending all kinds of support for her mother’s treatment,” a police official said. As Adhikari managed to take the woman into confidence cashing in on her distress, he proposed to take her to Samakhushi ‘for a meeting with his aunt’, but ended up at Mitranagar-based Hotel Gorkha Fulbari Guest House on March 20. According to the victim, Adhikari, who also introduced himself to her with different name ‘Santosh Ghale’, repeatedly raped her in a room on the third floor of the guest house, threatening her of serious consequences if she reported the incident to police. “Koirala has admitted to raping her,” the official said. Kathmandu District Court has remanded the rape suspect to five-day judicial custody for further investigation into the case. Koirala, a former Nepali Army soldier, is said to be a repeat rapist and was dismissed from the service for his involvement in a rape case. Incidents of rape are increasing at an alarming rate in recent times. As many as 112 cases of rape were reported in the past eight months (mid-July to mid-March) of the running fiscal in Kathmandu Valley as compared to 83 during the corresponding period last fiscal. Police attribute the increase in reported rape cases to more women coming forward due to greater public awareness, but say that many more cases go unreported, as victims are often too scared to come forward to lodge complaints of rape due to the fear of retribution and social stigma.