DHANGADHI: As many as eight police personnel have been charged for tampering evidence in Nirmala Panta rape and murder case at the District Court on Thursday.

Erstwhile Kanchanpur District Police Chief SP Dilipraj Bista and seven other police personnel have been charged with torturing Dilip Singh Bista, dummy perpetrator, and tampering evidence.

According to government lawyer office in Kanchanpur, Nirmala's mother Durga Devi Panta and brother of Dilip Singh, Khadak Bista filed separate FIRs (First Information Report) against the accused officials at the court today.

Along with SP Bista, DSP Gyan Bahadur Sethi, DSP Ankur Joshi, Inspector Akendra Khadka, all have been accused of torturing Dilip Singh Bista, who was made public as the culprit behind the brutal rape and murder, in the charge sheet.

Likewise, Inspector Jagdish Bhatta, Assistant Police Inspector Hari Singh Dhami, Ram Singh Dhami and constable Chandani Saud have been charged with tampering evidence, according to Kanchanpur District Police Spokesperson SP Krishna Raj Ojha.

After the incident, the government relieved SP Bista and Bhatta of their duties and suspended other officers.

"Six police officers including Sethi have been presented before the court and remanded in custody, however, Bista and Joshi are at large," Ojha shared.

According to District Court official Hari Krishna Awasthi, defendants' lawyers have demanded hearing into the case and the preliminary hearing would begin soon. The bail-hearing will make the decision whether to continue the investigation by remanding them in custody or to release them on bail.

A probe-panel, formed by the government to investigate the case, uncovered police's negligence, tampering with evidence among others in their report.

Earlier, the 13-year-old minor was brutally raped and murdered while returning home from her friend's house in the district on July 26.

Meanwhile, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is still leading an investigation.