Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has said the government has been investigating the resignation by a member of the high-level probe panel formed to look into the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta in Kanchanpur.

Birendra KC, who was in the five-member team formed by the Home Ministry to investigate the teenager’s death in Kanchanpur district, announced on Monday that he was no longer part of the enquiry, for he felt threatened from those actively trying to undermine the probe.

Under secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law in Province 7, KC told the media that he and his family members could be murdered anytime if he continued to be a part of the team.

Talking to journalists in Banepa, Kavrepalanchok on Tuesday, Minister Thapa said the government has been investigating the resignation of KC from the investigation panel as it the duty of Home Ministry to maintain law and order in the country. He was there to attend the 51^st establishment day and 37^th annual meeting organised by District Cooperatives Association.  

The home minister said the current national need is development and prosperity and expressed his hopes that the cooperatives will play a vital role in the national campaign. “Development and prosperity is socialism that can bring economic changes in the country,” he said.

He said the cooperatives collect small investments and turn them into a large capital thereby paving the way for huge entrepreneurship.

On a different note, Minister Thapa ruled out the possibility of Cabinet reshuffle and refuted the rumours about dissatisfaction within his party, Communist Party of Nepal.