Metropolitan Police Range Office, Kathmandu, will furnish its reply to the court through the District Attorney´s Office, according to Superintendent of Police Nawa Raj Silwal, chief of Metropolitan Police Range Office, Kathmandu.
The Supreme Court on Thursday had ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Range Office to submit its explanation in writing about the arrest of Dhamala in three days. The Range Office had received the apex court´s letter on Sunday.
Police had received permission from Kathmandu District Administration Office for a 14-day remand of Dhamala for investigations on Thursday.
SP Silwal said they can extend the remand for another 11 days if need be. “We are trying our level best to document all evidence possible within the 14-day remand,” he added.
Police are also busy compiling evidence relating to the arrest of Dhamala and three others to file a case against them in court.
Arrested Reporters’ Club president Dhamala, Ram Shubhak Mahato a.k.a. Pradeep, Manoj Mahato a.k.a. Binayak and Birendra Kumar Mahato were allegedly linked to the little-known armed outfit, Ranabir Sena. They are currently being detained at Hanumandhoka for further investigations.
Police sources said a special police team has been sent to Siraha district to gather evidence relating to their link with the armed group as two of the arrested, Ram Shubhak Mahato and Manoj Mahato, are from Siraha. The special team is entrusted with collecting evidence from the local police office and the residence of the two.
According to police, Ram Shubhak Mahato was serving as Kathmandu Valley in-charge of the armed outfit, while Manoj Mahato claimed to be its military commander in Kathmandu.
They were allegedly involved in extorting from businessmen in Kathmandu and various Tarai districts and also in carrying out bomb blasts in the name of the outfit at busy thoroughfares. The group owned up to three separate explosions in Kathmandu last month.
Police arrested Birendra Kumar Mahato and Dhamala as they were found directly involved in assisting Ranabir Sena men in their activities in the capital. Dhamala had allegedly assured them of their security while operating in Kathmandu and in return he would take a certain amount of the extorted money.
Sources said police are coordination with the Indian authorities to acquire call details of Dhamala’s conversation with the Ranabir Sena chief, who is currently based in India. Police claim that there used to be frequent exchange of telephone calls between the two over the past several months. The call details will help establish Dhamala’s nexus with the armed group and its criminal activities,” added the source.
Officials said Kathmandu Metropolitan Police and Police Headquarters are coordinating to document all evidence available. Earlier, police had said they would file arms and ammunition-related cases against Dhamala and the three others.
Senior police officials at Police Headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Range Office, Kathmandu and Metropolitan Crime Division, Hanumandhoka, held a meeting on Sunday to discuss as to how to proceed in Dhamala’s case as pressure was allegedly mounting from various quarters to get him released.
Police have allowed family members, a personal lawyer and human rights activists to meet Dhamala in custody, but have denied access to journalists.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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