KATHMANDU: The committee formed to probe into the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta of Kanchanpur district has submitted its report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) today.

The probe team coordinated by Hari Prasad Mainali met Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa and submitted its report.

Nirmala Panta (13) of Bhimdattanagar Municipality in Kanchanpur district was raped and murdered on July 26. Her body was found in a sugarcane field the following day. A forensic report showed that she was raped and strangled to death.

Earlier, MoHA on August 23 had formed a committee led by Mainali to probe into the murder case after the role of police, involved in the investigation of the case, was found dubious and the investigation did not progress an inch further.

The probe committee formed thereafter had submitted its preliminary report to the MoHA on September 15. As per the report, police investigation into the case was deemed weak; the MoHA had suspended five police officials including two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) for gross negligence in the investigation of the case.

The newly presented report has incorporated various matters including circumstances of the incident, and the weakness of the police officials in the investigation.

Receiving the report, Minister Thapa asserted that guilty would be brought to book by implementing the report submitted by the probe committee.