The Kanchanpur District Court on Monday remanded Roshani Bam and her sister Babita to six days of judicial custody as they are being investigated in connection to the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta.

 Superintendent of Police (SP) Kuber Kadayat said,  “We are acquiring the necessary information from them and investigating into the case accordingly.”

Thirteen-year-old Nrimala, a resident of Bhimdutta Municipality-2, had reportedly gone out of contact after leaving the house of the Bam sisters on July 26.  Her body was recovered in a sugarcane field the next day at Bhimdutta-18.

Local residents, who have been protesting demanding justice for Nirmala, believe that the Bam sisters  have crucial leads on the real culprits.

Protests over Nirmala’s gruesome death flared up after police presented Dilip Bista, a mentally challenged man, as the main suspect on August 20, much to the disbelief of the Kanchanpur residents.

On Friday, Kanchanpur police opened fire at a rally, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring more than 20 protesters.

Bowing down to the relentless protests, the District Police Office on Saturday pledged to conduct a fresh investigation into the case by deploying a new team of investigators.

“We will also seek the aid from the high-level probe committee formed by the government,” SP Kadayat said.  

The Home Ministry has formed a five-member committee headed by Joint Secretary Hari Prasad Mainali to probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, the investigators from the Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has returned to Kathmandu after facing public criticism for mishandling the investigation process.

Mahendranagar returns to normal life

The local administration relaxed the curfew in Mahendranagar on Monday, with the sign of peace and normalcy returning in the town. The District Administration Office, Kanchanpur, lifted the curfew order from 5am till 6pm on Monday. Transportation resumed in the town as usual and there was an increased public movement in market areas, where had remained closed for the past one week. The curfew was enforced after 6pm till Tuesday morning.

Police probe Sunsari woman rape

INARUWA: Sunsari police are investigating into the alleged rape of a depressed 24-year-old woman in Inaruwa. Police have arrested  three young men and questioning them on their role in the incident. The woman was found naked and unconscious near Halesi Chowk in Inaruwa Municipality-6 on Saturday night. She was taken to Biratnagar for treatment.

Police arrest three men on gang-rape charge

SUNSARI: Police have arrested three persons on gang-rape charge from Ramdhuni Municipality-2 in the district. The suspects, aged between 19 to 21, allegedly gang-raped a local teenage girl on Saturday night. A police patrol rescued the victim while she was running after she managed to escape from the rapists. Two of the accused were captured on site while the third one was arrested on Sunday. According to police, the accused trio admitted their involvement in the crime. The victim is receiving treatment at Koshi Zonal Hospital for her injuries.  (RSS)