PHIDIM: The District Court, Panchthar within a duration of one week has given clean chits to four persons arrested on charge of rape.

A bench of district court judge Manoj KC has cleared the accused of rape charges, following a hearing on cases against them, filed by the police at the court.

Assistant Sub Inspector of Police Bal Bahadur Thatal, Ajit Gurung of Phidim Municipality-8, Kamal Gurung of Phalelung Rural Municipality-6, and Manoj Khadka of Kummayak Rural Municipality-6 were acquitted on two separate hearings on May 21 and May 23.

Thatal, who has remained the in-charge of Nawamidanda Police Post, was accused of raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl. He had been arrested when it came to light that the young girl was pregnant. The girl had been sent to a rehabilitation centre following an abortion.

However, while giving her statement at the court, the victim said that she had physical relations with Thatal with mutual consent, after which he was cleared of the charge, according to court officer at Panchthar District Court, Tikendra Jung Rana.

Likewise, Kamal Gurung, who had been a ward member of Phalelung Rural Municipality-6, was cleared of charges after the victim changed her statement at the court hearing. A case had been filed against him at the court following his arrest for impregnating a woman whose husband was on foreign employment.

Similarly, Ajit Gurung and Manoj Khadka were given clean chits after the victims' statements did not corroborate with the charges filed against them.