Amid mounting public pressure, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Sunday assured strict legal action against those involved in the death of 17-year-old Rinku Kumari Sada in Siraha district.

The case, which involves allegations of gang rape, subsequent cover-up attempts by local authorities, and the victim’s suspicious death, has sparked widespread condemnation.

“The offenders will be apprehended and brought into custody swiftly,” Lekhak told the National Assembly on Sunday. “The police have been thoroughly investigating the case.”

Lekhak’s remarks come as protests demanding justice for Sada continue in Siraha.

On the night of February 9, Rinku Kumari Sada reportedly stepped out of her home in Bhagwatipur, Nawarajpur Rural Municipality-1, to relieve herself, after which she was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by three local men—Rupesh Mandal, Tinku Mandal, and Chandan Sahel.

According to her family, Sada was missing for six hours and was found crying outside her house at 3 o’clock the following morning.

Despite her allegations, the case was not immediately reported to the police. Instead, local leaders held a panchayat (informal village mediation) on February 12 to settle the matter.

The panchayat imposed a fine of Rs140,000 on the perpetrators and forbade the victim’s family from approaching the police.

As the settlement fell apart and threats against her family grew, Sada was found hanging in her home on February 13. Authorities initially registered a FIR for abetment of suicide but later expanded the investigation after the victims mother’s allegations surfaced.

Several political parties have drawn attention to Sada’s case.

While visiting Siraha as part of the Tarai-Madhesh awareness campaign, Maoist Centre Chairperson Puspa Kamal Dahal inquired with local administration officials regarding the status of the investigation.

Dahal stressed transparency in the case’s handling during a meeting with Chief District Officer (CDO) Basudev Dahal, Police Chief Ramesh Pandit, Armed Police Force Chief Naresh Bhandari, and other officials. “This case raises multiple suspicions,” he said, urging authorities to ensure an unbiased probe.

On Saturday, Dahal visited Sada’s home, where he met the grieving family and promised them justice.

The Rajendra Mahato-led Rastriya Mukti Party also released a statement on March 1, condemning the government’s perceived inaction.

“Despite the passage of several days, the government’s seriousness in addressing this heinous crime has not been felt by the citizens,” the party said.

“If the government fails to show genuine concern for ensuring justice, we will be compelled to launch a strong movement.”

Following the incident, the Musahar Struggle Committee, Dalit communities, and student groups in Lahan and Kathmandu have staged several rounds of protests, marches, and demonstrations demanding justice for Sada.

Activists say that local law enforcement has mishandled the case and delayed justice.

The police have launched an investigation after receiving a complaint against eight individuals, including three allegedly involved in the rape and five in the panchayat.

Three suspects are in custody at Lahan police station, while the remaining five are on the run.

Authorities say they are working to apprehend the perpetrators.

But the civil society leaders are not satisfied with how the case is being handled.

“The Home Ministry must first dismiss the DSP of Lahan [Bishnu Prasad Soti] because he might erase the evidence,” said Arjun Thapaliya, a civil society leader from Siraha. Thapaliya alleged that the investigation is “prioritising protecting the perpetrators over delivering justice to the victim.”

According to him, the victim’s family were threatened again by the perpetrators’ relatives on Saturday. The three arrested are not the main culprits; they were part of the audience at the panchayat, he says.

“Audiences at the panchayat have been arrested to divert focus from the true perpetrators—the rapists, and the decision-makers of the panchayat,” said one of Sada’s relatives.

According to Sada’s family, the provincial level committee formed under the leadership of the SSP to investigate the case lacks transparency.

“Just as the flames of Rinku’s funeral pyre have died down, the work of the committee has also faded away,” Thapaliya said. “The court should form a higher-level investigation committee without the current DSP.”