DHARAN: Rape-accused suspended Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Saurav Rana has been placed on a five-day remand by the District Court, Sunsari, on Monday.

The order was passed by the single bench of District Judge Maniram Neupane after police produced the accused before the court today.

The government attorneys and defendant lawyers debated on whether to remand rape-accused Rana on custody or not before the judge made the decision this afternoon, said court official Nagendra Kishari Pokhrel.

Defendant lawyers argued that their client should not be remanded in jail as he had surrendered before an arrest warrant was issued against him, claiming that he would not run away but cooperate with officials during the investigation.

After court proceedings, suspended SSP Rana briefly said that he was innocent. In a day or two, everything will be clear.

After a woman from Birtamode registered an FIR (First Information Report) accusing him of raping her with Sunsari District Police Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended SSP Rana with effect from Friday.

Sunsari Police Office had registered the FIR against Rana at the direction of the Home Ministry last Thursday. The woman alleged that suspended police officer raped her at Pathibhara Hotel in Itahari about six months ago.

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