DNA of four more persons suspected in rape and murder of Nirmala Panta has not matched that of samples collected from Nirmala's vaginal swab.
Police had sent the samples of the four suspects before Tihar. "We have received the report that says their DNA does not match with the samples collected from Nirmala's vaginal swab," Spokesperson of Kanchanpur Police DSP Krishna Ojha said.
The DNA of Dilip Singh Bista, presented by the police as the main accused at the beginning, the then chief of Kanchanpur Police SP Dilli Raj Bista, his son Kiran and Aayush Bista, nephew of Mayor of Bhimdutta municipality Surendra Bista had also not matched with the samples collected from the vaginal swab.
Nepal Police Spokesperson Uttam Raj Subedi told Setopati that the case is being investigated from all angles taking advice from experts.
Meanwhile, parents of Nirmala, who started indefinite sit-in in
front of the District Administration Office at Bhimdutta from Sunday demanding justice for their daughter, have fallen ill.
Father Yagya Raj Panta and mother Durga Panta, who are staging sit-in round the clock, have fallen ill. Yagya Raj has fever and common cold, and complains of pain in his limbs while Durga also has fever and her blood pressure has plummeted.
Kishor Bohara of Mahakali Zonal Hospital, who reached for their treatment, said their health is deteriorating due to cold.
The body of 13-year-old Panta of Bhimdutta municipality 2, who had gone to a friend’s home for study on July 26, was found at a sugarcane field the next day.
A CIB team led by DSP Angur GC had reached Kanchanpur four days after the incident. Doubts arose about the police investigation after the CIB team and the then SP at Kanchanpur Dilli Raj Bista made 41-year-old Dilip Singh Bista, who was mentally challenged, public as the culprit on the 24th day of the incident on August 18.
The District Government Attorney Office released Bista after DNA samples collected from Nirmala Panta’s body did not match with that of Bista.
The locals have been claiming that Bista was framed by the police to save the real culprits. Nirmala’s father Yagya Raj has claimed that the police put pressure on him to file a complaint identifying Bista as the main accused.
One boy was killed in police firing and dozens injured in clashes with police as the locals protested for days accusing the police of trying to save the real culprits.
The then SP of Kanchanpur Bista was then suspended for mishandling the case while the CIB sent another team under SSP Thakur Gyawali for investigations.
Samples were then collected for DNA test of the suspended SP Bista, his son Kiran and Aayush Bista, nephew of Mayor of Bhimdutta municipality Surendra Bista to investigate the case. But the DNA of the three did not match with the samples collected from Nirmala's vaginal swab. Police personnel involved in preliminary investigation have also undergone lie-detector tests.
Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has since revealed that the clothes worn by Nirmala Panta were burnt and thumbprint of her father was forged in the field report prepared by the police.
