Panchthar, February 9

Police have included Panchthar’s Kummyak Rural Municipality Chair Jay Bahadur Chemjong in their list of fugitives.

After a case was filed against Chemjong for coercing a woman into abortion, he has been at large.

Panchthar District Police Office said they had put Chemjong on the wanted list and launched a manhunt. A woman had registered a case against seven persons, including rural municipality Chair Chemjong, his wife, the woman’s husband and parents. The woman had married an employee of Mega Bank branch in Panchthar after they fell in love.

Following the registration of the case, Panchthar District Court had issued a directive to nab all seven persons, including the RM chair. A police team was deployed to catch Chemjong. After he was not found during their four-day search,  Chemjong was included in the police wanted list, said Panchthar Police Chief Siddaraj Neupane. Police have arrested three persons involved in the forced foeticide, while four others are at large. Police have kept the names of fugitives and those arrested confidential.

The woman from Dalit community had married a Kshetri man working at Mega Bank eight months ago. They had tied the knot at a temple.

In the FIR registered with the police, the woman has accused rural municipality Chair Chemjong of forcing her to get her baby aborted when she was in her 21st week of pregnancy around a month ago. The victim’s side added Chemjong had done so at the request of parents and kin of the man.