Dharan, January 31

Senior Superintendent of Police Saurav Rana was suspended today after a rape case was filed against him at District Police Office, Sunsari, yesterday.

An FIR was filed against Rana, who heads Province 1 Federal Unit Police Office in Dharan, yesterday by the victim, a permanent resident of Birtamod, Jhapa.

According to Home Ministry Spokesperson Narayan Sharma, Rana was suspended from his post and a probe committee has been formed to investigate the allegation against him.

The ministry, however, hasn’t revealed the names of the members of the three-member probe panel.

Sources said Rana was under surveillance of Area Police Office, Dharan.

In her FIR, the victim, who is a married woman, has accused the police officer of repeatedly ‘raping’ her for over a decade since he was a deputy superintendent of police at District Police Office, Jhapa. She alleged that he had last raped her in Room No 104 of Pathibhara Hotel in Itahari about six months ago.

“He didn’t stop exploiting me. He threatened me even when he was at District Police Office, Sunsari, Traffic Police Office, Itahari, and at the federal unit police office,” the victim told police.

Although Sunsari DPO has registered a rape case against SSP Rana on the basis of the FIR, it hasn’t taken him into custody yet.

Earlier, the victim had filed a complaint at Nepal Police headquarters in Kathmandu accusing SSP Rana of raping her, but since the headquarters didn’t act on the complaint, the victim approached the home ministry.

Sunsari police registered a rape case against Rana yesterday acting on the home ministry’s direction.

DPO Sunsari Spokesperson Binod Sharma said the victim underwent a health check-up at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health and Sciences.

According to sources, preparations were made to nab Rana today itself, but since the court was closed earlier today he will be arrested only after an arrest warrant against him is issued on Sunday.