KATHMANDU: Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa has expressed his condolences on the demise of Superintendent of the Armed Police Force, Balram Pokhrel.

The Home Minister reached Pokhrel’s house at Sanobharyang today and paid tribute to the late Pokhrel. He also extended condolences to the members of the bereaved family.

SP Pokhrel was killed in a vehicle crash in Bara district on Saturday. The Chief District Officer of Bara District, Ganesh Bhattarai was critically injured in the accident was airlifted to Kathmandu for the treatment.

The Scorpio jeep had met with an accident after it hit a parked tractor near Pasaha along the Pathlaiya-Nijgadh road section in Bara, in Jitpursimara Sub-metropolitan City, on Saturday night.

The Scorpio jeep was returning from a picnic at Martyr Hiralal Memorial Park organised by Civil Servants’ Milan Centerm Bara.

Home Minister Thapa was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying, "Armed Police Force has lost a dutiful, dedicated and professional officer."

Meanwhile, the Home Minister went to the Grande International Hospital at local Dhapasi and inquired about the health condition of Bara Chief District Officer, Ganesh Bhattarai, who is receiving treatment after sustaining serious injuries in the accident, the Home Minister’s press coordinator Kiran Bhattarai said.

The Home Minister also said during the visit that the government would bear the medical expenses for CDO Bhattarai and directed the doctors not to leave any stone unturned in his treatment.