The Kanchanpur District Administration Office continued the curfew in Mahendranagar from 10am to 6pm on Sunday. The order will continue from 10pm till 5 on Monday morning, authorities said.

The local administration started the curfew in Mahendranagar of Bhimdutta Municipality since Friday after protests against the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta went out of control.

Protests flared after police on Monday presented a mentally challenged man as the main suspect. Protesters accused police of parading him to protect the real perpetrator/s.

Fourteen-year-old protester Sunny Khuna died on Friday while scores of others sustained injuries in the last couple of days. Nirmala, a resident of Bhimdutta Municipality-2, was found lying on a sugarcane field in Bhimdutta-18 on July 27. A forensic report showed the victim was raped and strangulated to death.

Local residents had some respite as the DAO lifted curfew from 6am to 10am and 6pm to 10pm. They used the time for buying essentials as Hindus observed Rakshabandhan on Sunday.

No progress in probe

There has been no significant progress in investigation into the rape and murder case since Saturday when the District Police Office pledged to conduct the probe over again. The authorities have not interrogated Roshani Bam and her sister Babita Bam, from whose house the victim went out of contact on July 26.

“We are having several phases of internal investigation,” said Superintendent of Police Kuber Kadayat. “We could not record the statements of the Bam sisters as the remand period was over. We will do the task tomorrow after extending the remand.”

Local residents believe the Bam sisters have crucial leads to the real culprit.

The Province 7 government has announced Rs500,000 each for the Panta and Khuna families. Provincial minister for Internal Affairs and Law Prakash Shah announced the relief as he met the bereaved families on Sunday.

Bhimdutta Municipality also decided to provide Rs300,000 for each family. The federal government on Saturday announced Rs1 million for each bereaved family.