Family members of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta, who was raped and murdered, said that the police have been giving them pressure for lodging FIR against Dilip Singh Bista, 41, of Bhimdutta municipality-19.
"The police are telling us to lodge FIR against the man they caught. I did not agree. They even have not provided any evidence that the man committed the crime. How can I register FIR against a man that I've never seen and met?," Ekraj Panta, father of Nirmala Panta, told Setopati, accusing that the police investigation into the case was not satisfactory.
The body of Nirmala, who had gone to a friend’s home to study on July 26, was found at a sugarcane field the next day. The District Police Office on Monday had made Dilip Singh Bista public as the main accused in rape and murder of Panta. Bista has a criminal background and had served a jail term for murder, according to police.
Ekraj Panta said that police summoned him to visit District Police Office on Monday itself to lodge the FIR against Bista.
"My wife and I were called to visit DPO yesterday by a CIB official from Kathmandu. He told us that a man of Bagaphanta was arrested. You have to file FIR against him," Panta told Setopati over the phone, "But I did not agree."
"I can't lodge FIR. I've never seen him. I don't even know him. I don't know his name as well. The police even don't show any proof against him," Panta recalled as his response to the CIB official.
"If you lodge FIR, it will be easier for us to take action," CIB official told Panta.
Panta said that police did not allow him to meet Bista saying that they can't do so. He said, "I told them that I wanted to talk with him. I wanted to listen to him accepting the crime in front of me. I will then lodge the FIR. Police still did not agree. They only put pressure on me to lodge the FIR against him."
Police took Panta and his wife to the site to find new evidence.
"On reaching the site, I felt it was a drama. A cover of condom was found near the place where my daughter's cycle was found. A torn clothe of pocket was also found. Both have no stains," he said, "They were clean, without any dirt. It often rains these days. But nothing was there. Not even dirt or mud. Other things found near the site have mud stains. How can they not have any stains?" Panta queried police on the site.
He did not get any satisfactory answers from the police. But he was accused of not cooperating the police in the investigation.
"When I asked them these questions, they accused us of not believing the police. If you want to continue the protests, keep doing it," Panta said as quoting the police.
The irate locals on Tuesday enforced a shutdown at Bhimdutta municipality protesting that police was not able to make the true murderer(s) public.
Panta further said that the police, immediately after Nirmala's missing, did not show any interest in her search.
"My wife had gone to Roshani's house after she failed to find Nirmala in the village. Then she went to the police to report Nirmala's missing," Panta said, "But police did not show any eagerness to search her. They told they will search the next day."
"Negligence can be seen on part of the police from the beginning," Nirmala's father said, "They have not yet started investigation properly. We have some doubts on others. But police are trying to prove a person they caught guilty. They even accused us of not cooperating in the investigation."
