Kathmandu, March 5

More than six months after the rape and murder of 13-year-old girl Nirmala Panta, the Office of District Attorney, Kanchanpur, is finally set to file a case at Kanchanpur District Court tomorrow against eight police officers for botching up the investigation.

Nirmala’s mother Durga Devi, had filed an FIR against eight police officers including suspended Superintendent of Police Dilli Raj Bista, Deputy Superintendent of Police Angur G C, DSP Gyan Bahadur Sethi, suspended inspector Jagadish Bhatta, Inspector Ekendra Khadka, Sub-inspector Ram Singh Dhami, Assistant Sub-inspector Hari  Singha Dhami and head constable Chadani Saud on January 14, charging them of obstructing public justice.

Nirmala was raped and murdered on July 26 last year. Her parents had accused police personnel of botching up the investigation from the very first day. Nirmala’s mother had filed a missing person report about her daughter.

Nirmala had disappeared from the afternoon of July 26 after visiting her classmate Aachal Bam, aka Roshani. Nirmala’s mother had called the police that very evening after she didn’t return home, but no immediate action was taken, according to the report of the National Human Rights Commission.

Nirmala’s body was found at around 9:00 am the next day in a sugarcane field, the lower half of her body was submerged in water. But, when police arrived at the crime scene, they did very little to protect whatever evidence was left. A video of the crime scene showed that police personnel had cleaned the bleeding vaginal area and dipped Nirmala’s trousers in water before using it to cover her body.

Kanchanpur District Attorney Mohan Prasad Joshi told THT that the office had received the FIR just two days ago and now he would most probably register the case tomorrow at the court. DA Joshi said, “Hopefully the case will be filed tomorrow at the court.”

All the accused police personnel will have to be held by Kanchanpur District Police after the District court summons them for hearing.

SP Dinesh Acharya also chief of Kanchapur Police said, “We won’t hesitate to present the accused at the court if the court demands.”

The Office of District Attorney will also file a case against four police officers for illegally holding an accused Dilip Singh Bista in police detention and torturing him to forcefully accept the crime.

Dilip Singh’s elder brother Khadga Singh Bista, had, on January 14, filed an FIR against suspended SP Bista, DSP Angur G C, DSP Sethi and Inspector Khadka in-charge of torturing the innocent in police custody.

Dilip Singh was arrested from the crime scene more than a month after the rape and murder. Police had claimed his behaviour was suspicious and held him for several days in police custody. Dilip Singh’s explanation to human rights activists after being released had suggested that he was waterboarded by the police while in the custody.