KATHMANDU: Nepal Police on Wednesday suspended DSP Sanjeev Sharma Das following a directive from Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma.

Das was among the 35 DSPs recently recommended for promotion to SP. With the decision, the promotion process of DSP Das will automatically be halted. He was posted in Regional Traffic Police Office, Sunsari.

Conceding that the decision to recommend Das for promotion was a blunder, Minister Sharma posted on his Facebook page that he had directed the concerned officials to suspend him and launch further investigation into allegations against him. DSP Das has been accused of letting a rape and murder suspect off the hook five years ago when he was in-charge of District Police Office, Ramechhap.

According to an investigation by Mid Regional Police Office, Hetauda, Das had released Shyam Raut of Ramechhap on a general date without filing a case at the court in connection with the 2012 rape and murder of 14-year-old girl Suntali Tamang. Raut was nabbed from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India with the help of Indian police last month.