Nepalgunj, November 3

Province 5 Police Office formed a probe committee today to investigate allegations levelled against Deputy Superintendent of Police Hem Bahadur Shahi at Kohalpur Area Police Office. Shahi has been accused of breaching police code of conduct.

The committee will investigate weapons seized by Shahi and his team. According to Province Police Office Chief DIGP Suresh Bikram Shah, a five-member probe committee led by SSP Nar Bahadur KC has been formed. The committee has been given 10-day deadline to investigate the incident and submit its report. “The probe committee led by KC has reached Banke for investigation”, said DIGP Shah.

The team led by Shahi from Area Police Office, Kohalpur, had arrested Nepal Traun Dal  Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City President Sandipjung Shah along with Dinesh Kumar Shahi, 40, of Nepalgunj-10, Raghav Shah (Kanu), 54, and Madhav Nepali, 35, of Nepalgunj-12, Pritam Thapa, 35, of Nepalgunj-4 and Yam Bahadur Budha of Nepalgunj-20, for keeping weapons illegally, last Thursday.

Provincial Police said the probe committee had been formed after NTD Banke accused the police of setting Sandipjung Shah up by keeping the weapons in Shah’s car and demanded an investigation into the role of police in the incident.

DIGP Shah said DSP Shahi would be booked if he was found violating the police code of conduct.

DIGP Shah said police were tipped off that the vehicle ferrying NTD Neplagunj sub-metropolitan President Shah had firearms inside it when it entered Namaste Resort.

Banke Police Chief had deployed DSP Shahi to the resort after it was tipped off about the illegal weapons. “The weapon was recovered from inside the vehicle. Police have worked sincerely. No weapon could have been placed from outside. We also have CCTV footage,” said DIGP Shah. Since seizure of weapons and accusation against DSP Shahi of breaching police code of conduct are two separate incidents, it is not good to politicise the two incidents, said DIGP Shah.

Meanwhile, organising a press meet on the premises of Banke District Police Office today, police have urged media not to defame the police organisation. DSP Shiv Bahadur Singh said Province Police Office had formed the probe committee to investigate allegations levelled against DSP Shahi and that the truth would be revealed. “Banke District Police Office had deployed Kohalpur Police Office to the resort based-on the tip-off and the vehicle was raided in the presence of the accused and the public,” said DSP Singh.

To conceal the weapons, a false botton was made underneath the seat in the vehicle. Thus, I urge all and sundry not to doubt the police action, said DSP Singh.