• The home minister assured student leaders that he would make public the report submitted by Hari Prasad Mainali

Kathmandu, October 4 Two student wings of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), today submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa demanding resignation of Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal for ‘failing to protect life and property of people.' They have also demanded action against those who raped and murdered 13-year-old Nirmala Panta of Kanchanpur district. Student leaders led by Nabina Lama, a lawmaker of the ruling NCP who is also the chairperson of All Nepal National Free Students Union, and Vice-chairperson of All Nepal National Free Student Union (Revolutionary) Ranjeet Tamang submitted a joint seven-point memorandum to the home minister. The student wings demanded that the home minister focus investigation on the Bam sisters, the suspended superintendent of police of Kanchanpur and other police officers who were guilty of destroying evidence, and take action against those found guilty. The two student wings also demanded life imprisonment for rapists and acid attackers, as well as chemical castration of perpetrators of rape and acid attacks on women. Nirmala, a 13-year-old girl of Bhimdatta municipality of Kanchanpur district, was raped and murdered on July 26 and police have not been able to nab the culprit(s). Lama told THT that Minister Thapa expressed his commitment to take action against those who raped and murdered Nirmala Panta. The minister also assured student leaders that he would make public the report submitted by Hari Prasad Mainali. The home ministry had, on August 23, formed a committee under Mainali to probe the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta. The committee submitted its report on September 25. Police failure to nab the culprits sparked protests across the country. The student wings also demanded that the government control the price hike of daily commodities and bring down the hiked public transport fare. The Lama-led student wing was associated with former CPN-UML and ANNFSU (Revolutionary) was associated with former CPN-MC. Both the student wings of the erstwhile parties have been awaiting merger since the unification of their mother parties. READ ALSO:

• Action against Nirmala's guilty within a week: Home Minister