By Nayak Paudel

Kathmandu, Feb. 11: With the passage of more than 18 months and formation of a number of probe committees to investigate into the gruesome rape and murder case of 13-year-old Nirmala Pant, Nepal Police has now expressed hope that the newly submitted report will help to resolve it.
With increasing criticisms from public due to the lapses and delay of Nepal Police in arresting the perpetrator behind the case which occurred on July 26, 2018, a new committee was formed under DIG Suraj KC to study and analyse the earlier probe reports. Formed on February 2, KC’s committee submitted its report on February 5.
As per the report, the earlier reports including the one submitted by AIGP Dhiru Basnyat, were influenced by excessive criticisms against the government and Nepal Police.
Following two different reports – one by Basnyat and the other by Home Ministry joint-secretary Hari Prasad Mainali – Nepal Police had sacked two officers and suspended six others for their ‘negligence’ in the investigation.
Alongside declaring former probe reports to have been affected by various reasons, KC’s report has suggested Nepal Police to forward the case by focusing on other evidences rather than DNA.
“The Kanchanpur District Police is looking into the case. They will push the investigation further, following the new report and arrest the perpetrator under circumstantial evidence rather than DNA,” said DIG Shailesh Thapa Kshetri, spokesperson of the Nepal Police.
Even though a DNA sample was extracted from the vaginal swab of the victim, it did not match with any of the suspects but raised questions about its authenticity.
Later, a committee formed by National Human Rights Commission with the inclusion of forensic experts revealed serious lapses in DNA collection due to which it could not provide proper result.
“The DNA was never a way forward in the case as it was damaged during the process of extraction. Evidence other than DNA clearly indicated the involvement of Dilip Singh Bista in the case,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Angur GC, who had been assigned to look into the case initially. He now remains suspended.
Dilip Singh Bista was presented as the major suspect by Kanchanpur District Police on August 20, 2018 but was released after his DNA did not match with the sample extracted from the victim’s vaginal swab.
After Bista was released as his DNA did not match, Nepal Police was accused of trying to frame him as the major culprit by letting the real culprit walk safe. However, the recent report by DIG KC and senior police officers whom the TRN spoke to suggested the initial investigation showing Dilip Singh as the major culprit to be correct.
“The Nirmala rape and murder case should not stall just because the DNA did not match. Dilip Singh accepted his guilt multiple times during the interrogation and the way he described the incident matches with the nature of the crime scene,” said GC, who was sent to Kanchanpur from Central Investigation Bureau to investigate the case.
“This case has been protracted indefinitely. It is the right time to arrest the culprit on the basis of circumstantial evidences at the earliest,” added GC.
(Paudel is a trainee journalist)