Kathmandu, September 15:

Three demonstrators, Anjila Karki, Binu Ghodasaini and Dipesh Chaulagain, were injured today when police rained batons on a group of people, who were staging a sit-in at the main gate of the Kathmandu District Police Office (KDPO) and demanding that the police make public the status of eight-year-old Bibek Sharma, who was kidnapped from Koteshwor on last Saturday and was reportedly sold.

Accusing the police of not bothering to launch an investigation, the relatives of the victim took out a rally from the Kathmandu District Police Office to Singhadurbar after police dispersed them from the main gate of the KDPO. The injured are undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital, according to Ram Prasad Gautam, one of the demonstrators. Kedar Sharma Luitel, father of Bibek, said police lathi-charged them when a dialogue was going on between the abductee’s relatives and Keshav Adhikari, Superintendent of Police at the Valley Crime Investigation Branch (VCIB), Hanumandhoka.

“The police is showing apathy towards finding Bibek because it has already arrested three persons involved in the kidnapping,” Luitel said. Adhikari also said the police have arrested three persons involved in kidnapping. Citing an investigation, he said, “Petini Palten Lama of Dhankuta paid Rs 10,000 each to Indian nationals Wakil Ansari and Bhikhari Khan for bringing the boy to her.

Lama sold the boy for Rs 60,000,” Adhikari said. “However, she is telling nothing about where and to whom she sold the boy.” Dhak Bahadur Karki, Superintendent of Police at the Kathmandu District Police Office, said the police can do nothing until the woman speaks the truth. Karki said the police had to use force to clear the main gate as the relatives of the victim were blocking the movement of vehicles.