Kathmandu, July 29

Police have arrested two Armed Police Force constables for allegedly raping a woman at a guest house in Kalanki.

According to Kalimati-based Metropolitan Police Circle, it arrested APF constables Ram Sharan Pokharel and Chandra Bahadur Pachhai. Pokharel is the prime accused in the rape case, officials said. Pokharel had met the alleged rape victim a year ago and they fell in love. However, their relationship lasted for only a few months due to his ‘affairs with many other women’ before they had reunion through Facebook recently. He also tried to win her back, saying that he had quit the APF job and opened a hotel.

Pokharel assured the victim that he had improved and convinced the victim to go on a date on Thursday.  When Pokharel and the women met in Kalanki, he called his APF fellow Pachhai.

The trio drank alcohol at a restaurant and went to Narayani Guest House for night stay. Learning that all the rooms in the guest house were already reserved, they checked in the nearby Ashirbad Guest House and booked two rooms.

An FIR lodged by the victim said that both the constables had raped her in the guest house. The constables had their posting in Satungal-based APF Valley Security Office. Kathmandu District Court has remanded them to seven-day judicial custody. Meanwhile, the victim has been handed over to Metropolitan Police Women’s Cell for further investigation.

Rape cases are increasing at an alarming rate in Kathmandu valley. It recorded 186 such cases in the fiscal 2017-18 compared to 136 in 2016-17 and 135 in 2015-16. Police attribute the increase in reported rape cases to more women coming forward due to greater public awareness, but say that many more cases go unreported.