Dharan, February 2

Following Sunsari District Court’s arrest warrant, rape-accused suspended senior superintendent of police Saurav Rana today surrendered at Sunsari District Police Office.

An FIR was filed against SSP Rana for raping a woman with the District Police Office last Thursday, but the district court issued the arrest warrant against Rana today.

SSP Rana was suspended from his post after the FIR was filed. “SSP Rana will be remanded to custody tomorrow and police will start investigation,” said Sunsari District Police Office Spokesperson DSP Binod Sharma.

DSP Sharma said Rana had presented himself before the police office.

“Rana is in police custody and an investigation has started,” added Sharma. Rana had been placed under surveillance of Dharan Area Police Office from Friday. The FIR filed by the victim states SSP Rana had repeatedly exploited her sexually.

After the woman from Birtamode registered an FIR accusing Rana of raping her with Sunsari District Police Office, the home ministry had suspended SSP Rana with effect from Friday.

A three-member committee has been formed to investigate allegations against him. Rana was working at the Federal Police Unit Office in Dharan.

In her FIR, the victim, who is a married woman, has accused the police officer of repeatedly ‘raping’ her for over a decade since he was a deputy superintendent of police at Jhapa District Police Office. She alleged that he had last raped her in Room No 104 of Pathibhara Hotel in Itahari about six months ago.

“He didn’t stop exploiting me. He threatened me even when he was at Sunsari District Police Office, Itahari Traffic Police Office and at the Federal Unit Police Office,” the victim told police.

The woman had registered the case against Rana at the police headquarters.

Sunsari Police Office had registered the FIR against Rana at the directive of the home ministry last Thursday.