The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has released Nawaraj Aryal, who claimed to be an eyewitness of Nirmala Panta’s rape and murder in Kanchanpur, after questioning him.
Aryal, a resident of Gorkha currently residing in Kathmandu, claimed during an interview on Prime Time Television that he was an eyewitness of the incident.
Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati, spokesperson for the CIB, said the police arrested Aryal on Wednesday and released him the same night after questioning him.
"As he has health problems, we let him go on the condition that he will appear when called and when needed," said SP Bogati.
After the interview was aired, the CIB questioned Aryal for more than three hours on Tuesday and let him go. The CIB arrested him on Wednesday as he went out of contact even though he had been told to report to the CIB that day as well.
The CIB also questioned journalist Rishi Dhamala, who had interviewed Aryal, on Wednesday. SP Bogati said that Dhamala has promised to remove the interview.
Nirmala Panta was raped and murdered on July 26, 2018.
