DHANGADHI: The Nepal Students Union (NSU), student wing of main opposition party Nepali Congress, shut down educational institutions in Kanchanpur of Sudurpaschim Province on Monday demanding arrest of the perpetrator behind the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta. According to NSU central member Kailash Singh, 68 days have passed since the incident and authorities are yet to find the culprit. In this backdrop, the NSU organised a one-day-closure of all educational institutions in protest, Singh added. Furthermore, Singh accused the government of safe guarding the criminal and said that NSU will announce a slew of protest programmes in phases. Moreover, the union has also declared district-wide one-day strike on Tuesday. As dozens of schools remained closed in the district, majority of students who had no prior notice on the shut down reached the gates of their respective institutions to find the gates closed. Women Activists continue relay hunger-strike Meanwhile, a citizen struggle committee including women activists of the district led by Mina Bhandari have continued relay hunger-strike demanding the government to release the investigation report penned by a high level probe committee assigned to investigate Panta’s rape and murder.