Preparations are in full swing to dismiss Bista and Bhatta from police service

Kathmandu, October 23

Nepal Police Headquarters will submit the clarifications furnished by suspended Superintendent of Police Dilliraj Bista and Inspector Jagadish Bhatta related to the charges levelled against them to the Ministry of Home Affairs tomorrow.

The MoHA on Sunday had sent letters to SP Bista and Inspector Bhatta separately through NP Headquarters seeking clarifications within 24 hours why they should not be dismissed from police service for negligence while carrying out criminal investigation and failing to bring to book culprit(s) in the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta.

The countdown for furnishing clarification starts from the time of receipt of the MoHA letters.

Deputy Inspector General Shailesh Thapa Kshetri, Nepal Police spokesperson, told The Himalayan Times that Inspector Bhatta received the letter yesterday and registered his clarification in a sealed envelope to the law section of NP Headquarters today within the deadline. “SP Bista, however, received the letter just today at around 11:30am and will have to register his clarification within 24 hours. We expect to receive the clarification from SP Bista before noon tomorrow. We will then send both clarifications to the line ministry immediately,” said DIG Kshetri.

According to him, NP Headquarters acts as a bridge between the line ministry and cops in cases related to seeking and furnishing clarifications. “Our sole responsibility is to give the cops the letters sent by the MoHA and receive and submit their clarifications to the MoHA,” DIG Kshetri informed.

Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal had, on October 15, written to the line ministry, recommending that SP Bista and Inspector Bhatta be dismissed as per Rule 113(a) of the Police Regulation for botching up investigation into the rape and murder of Nirmala in Bhimdatta Municipality of Kanchanpur district. The recommendation was based on the report of the high-level investigation committee led by Joint-secretary Hari Prasad Mainali as well as the inquiry conducted by IGP Khanal and prima facie evidences.

A high-level MoHA official said preparations were in full swing to dismiss SP Bista and Inspector Bhatta by rendering them disqualified to hold any government position in future through a home secretary-level decision. “Seeking clarifications from the duo is just a formality to fulfil the due process before dismissal. Most likely, we will ask them for clarifications for the second time to give them an opportunity to defend themselves as per the law. Their dismissal is inevitable,” he said.

SP Bista was Kanchanpur district police chief and Inspector Bhatta headed Bhimdatta Municipality police unit when Nirmala was raped and murdered on July 26.

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