KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday made public a report prepared by a high level probe committee formed to investigate rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta. In its report, the committee has cited mishandling of substantial evidence by police personnel since the very beginning and suggests departmental action against the officers involved in the case. Likewise, the committee has also called into question the roles of Bam sisters and recommends that they be investigated seriously, again. During the investigation the committee has found that the police did not respond to the situation in time, allowed evidence to be misplaced and mishandled, inflicted torture on innocents and did not act dutifully. Moreover, Babita Bam in her statement has said that she had attended tuition classes the day Nirmala went missing. However, her bench-mate at the tuition centre and teachers cannot certainly say that she was present, the committee found. Likewise, Bam's bench-mate also said that police officers took her notebook and photocopied it. It also states that Bam sisters' father requested the tuition centre to tell the investigators that the elder Bam sister had attended the tuition class on the day Nirmala went missing.

The detailed study of probe committee's report leaves a question unanswered: Did the police officials work to conceal loose ends to save perpetrator(s) behind the heinous crime?

• Probe Committee report into Nirmala Panta's Rape and Murder