Kathmandu, June 14

The Armed Police Force Headquarters has suspended four APF personnel, including DSP Ram Prasad Bhandari of Arun Gulma, Sankhuwasabha, for their alleged involvement in smuggling timber.

Other personnel suspended by the APF are constables Binod Kattel, Milan Kumar Rai and Dipendra Kumar Karmakar. According to APF, DSP Bhandari and the constables had smuggled timbers to various places by using office vehicle. Of late, APF Security Base in Dhankuta had intercepted the vehicle (Ba 1 Ga 1669) with illegal timber on June 4.

The APF had formed a probe panel led by SP Gunakhar Khanal after it was notified about the alleged involvement of DSP Bhandari and others in wood smuggling. APF spokesperson DIG Baburam Pandey said another high-level probe panel headed by DIG Suraj Kumar Shrestha had also been formed to investigate into the case keeping in mind the sensitivity of the matter. The three-member panel includes SP Netra Kumar Khatri and DSP Kamal Prasad Tiusina.

“We suspended DSP Bhandari and three constables to initiate departmental action against them after preliminary investigation showed that they had committed acts in contravention of the code of ethics and policies of the security agency,” DIG Pandey informed.

They were found smuggling timber in a planned way by hiding the issue from others and higher-up agencies. The probe panel had also conducted an on-site study in connection with the case.