A complaint has been filed at the Office of the District Attorney against six police personnel, including Superintendent of Police Rabiraj Khadka, for the alleged in-custody torture and death of 19-year-old Bijay Mahara.

On Wednesday, Panilal Mahara, Bijay’s father, filed the complaint against SP Khadka, the then chief at the District Police Office in Rautahat, the then DSP Gyan Kumar Mahato, the then Inspector Nabin Kumar Singh, SI Birendra Yadav, and two head constables Hiroj Miya Dhuniya and Munna Singh and has sought investigation into the alleged torture of Bijay in police custody.

Subash Kumar Bhattarai, the district attorney, said, “A complaint has been filed at the Office of the District Attorney. We have directed the District Police Office to take the necessary action.”

Bijay and six others were arrested on August 16 in connection to the murder of Niranjan Ram, a local teenager, in Garuda Municipality. Bijay died on August 26 at the National Medical College in Birgunj. His family members have claimed that he was tortured in custody and have refused to receive his body, which was sent to Kathmandu for a post-mortem two weeks ago.

The police, however, claim that Bijay died in the course of treatment for a kidney ailment.

A video of Bijay, which was taken in a hospital prior to his death, shows him saying that he was indeed tortured by plainclothed police and was forced to confess to the August 15 murder of 17-year-old Niranjan.

After the incident, SP Khadka was called back to the Police Headquarters in Kathmandu. SP Siddhi Bikram Shah has replaced Khadka in the District Police Office in Rautahat.

DSP Mahato, who was the chief at the Area Police Office in Garuda when the incident occurred, has also been called back to the Province 2 Police Office in Janakpur. DSP Narendra Kunwar has replaced DSP Mahato in Garuda.