SSP Mahesh Bikram Shah briefs the media about the findings on Rabindra Shamsher Shah's murder invesgitation at the Jajarkot District Police Office. Photo: Dinesh Kumar Shrestha

JAKARKOT: Naming seven suspects behind the murder of Nepali Congress district leader Rabindra Shamsher Shah, Nepal Police on Tuesday said the crime was not politically motivated.

In press conference at the Jajarkot District Police Office in Khalanga, police paraded two of the suspects. Five others, however, are at large.

SSP Mahesh Bikram Shah, who was sent to Jajarkot from the Zonal Police Office to look into the case, told the media that the suspects had taken Shah’s life to settle personal scores over financial transaction.

The victim was a former central member of Nepal Students Union and was the chairman of Panchtara Yuwa Samrakshan Manch.

As many as 13 persons were detained for interrogation.

However, eight of them have already been released, while two among the five in detention have confessed to their involvement in the crime, SSP Shah said.

Those who were paraded are identified as Thagendra Bahadur Singh aka Shiva and Dil Bahadur Rana aka Dilli.

Police said Bala Bahadur Malla aka Paurakh was the mastermind behind Shah’s murder. He is at large along with Prem Oli aka Itihas, Indra Shahi aka Mohit Singh, Dirgha Bahadur Nepali aka Abhishek and another person whose full identity is yet to be ascertained.

Shahi is said to be former Maoist combatant, while the unnamed suspect is affiliated with the CPN Maoist party led by Netra Bikram Chand.

The suspects had thrown stones at Shah and pushed him off the cliff to take his life in the evening of March 28.

Police said three others, Hitler Singh Rathaur, Kiran Thapa and Bhim Bahadur Khatri, who were along with Shah at the time of incident will be kept in custody for further investigation as their statements and results of polygraph test are contradictory.

SSP Shah said police are looking into the case minutely.

A manhunt has been launched to get hold of the absconding suspects.

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