Dhangadi, March 11

Province 7 Police Office, Dhangadi, today suspended acting Chief Sub-inspector Dinesh Bista of Area Police Office, Sukkhad, saying that he had tried to give impunity to people involved in thrashing Radha Chaudhary, 20, of Deukali in Ghodaghodi Municipality on the charge of practising witchcraft on Thursday.

Sub-inspector Bista was suspended for his attempt to give impunity to the perpetrators by settling the case through reconciliation.

Province 7 Police Chief AIG Madhav Prasad Nepal said Sub-inspector Bista was suspended till the probe committee completed its investigation. Nepal said Police Headquarters was apprised about Bista’s suspension.

Inspector Indra Bahadur Malla at District Police Office, Kailali, said a case was filed against Ram Bahadur Chaudhary aka Bhole baba, Kishmati Chaudhary, who dragged Radha out of her home and Smarika Chaudhary who thrashed the victim.

Police arrested Ram Bahadur on Friday and Kishmati on Saturday. Similarly, Smarika was held from her relative’s house at Boradanda of Dhangadi Sub-metropolitan City-5 today.

Radha is undergoing treatment at Seti Zonal Hospital. The provincial government has decided to bear Radha’s treatment cost.

Meanwhile, Province 7 Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta reached the hospital and took stock of Radha’s health condition today. Bhatta met the victim and her family members and pledged to punish the guilty and help with the victim’s treatment.

After meeting Radha, Bhatta said beating in the name of practising witchcraft was a serious crime. “This is serious felony and the guilty will be punished,” Bhatta pledged. He said his government would make sure that such incidents were not repeated in the province in future.

CM Bhatta held that his government would investigate how the two parties were reconciled. “Crimes like this should not be settled through reconciliation,” Bhatta added.

Province 7 Minister for Social Development Dhirgha Sodari said the government would bear all treatment expenses. “Criminals will be brought to justice,” Sodari said. Sodari, who is the UML Kailali chairman, said if it is found that local representatives were involved in forcing the victim to withdraw the case, they would also be brought to justice,” he said.