Relatives of the DIG´s wife, Gita Dhakal Koirala, 38, lodged a kidnapping complaint against Koirala at National Human Rights Commission, National Women Commission and the Prime Minister´s Office on Tuesday after Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka, refused to register a complaint against him. [break]
Gita´s relatives claim she was made to disappear by DIG Koirala, 44, so that he could claim ownership of the house in Budhanilkantha that Gita owns.
Though not divorced, the husband and wife had been living separately for the past six years. They had a lengthy and bitter history of quarrels and were being counseled at the National Women Commission for the past one-and-half years after Gita sought help claiming she was a victim of violence from her husband.
Gita´s relatives say Metropolitan Police Range has refused to investigate the ´kidnapping´ because the accused is a DIG. They say accepting the complaint would make detention of the accused compulsory for investigation.
But Superintendent of Police Rajendra Shrestha, chief of Metropolitan Police Range, said the abduction complaint was rejected for lack of evidence. “We did not register the kidnapping complaint as there is no evidence to press such a serious charge. But we are investigating and want to assure that no one will be spared if we get evidence,” said Shrestha.
Gita´s family members came to know about her disappearance only on January 13 when they visited her house after her cell phone (9741043991) remained switched off for two consecutive days. From Gita´s maid they learnt that she had not been seen in her house since 3:30 pm on January 11 when the maid entered the house to take care of household chores.
The maid also informed the family members that the main gate and doors of the house were open when she visited the house on January 11. The maid, who lives in a rented room barely 75 meters from the house, witnessed a white jeep arrive with headlights off at the house at 7:30 pm on January 11 and leave hours later. The house was locked when Gita´s family members visited it in the morning of January 13.
Police, who were informed immediately after Gita´s relatives were briefed by the maid, waited till January 14 to break into the house. The cops broke into the house after their day-long attempt to trace and inform DIG Koirala bore no fruit. There was no trace of Gita inside the house.
In the morning of January 11, DIG Koirala, who lives in Swayambhu, had traveled to the Budhanilkantha residence to get the younger of his two sons who was living with her. Gita had informed her mother that afternoon that the son had gone to live with his father for a few days.
Gita´s relatives claim the son was taken away so that he would not have to witness his mother´s kidnapping.
Gita´s relatives first reached Metropolitan Police Range on January 15 to lodge the kidnapping complaint. But they were returned saying SP Shrestha was not in the office. They again went to the office on January 16.
“Instead of registering our complaint, we were asked to discuss the situation with DIG Koirala who was there with four lawyers,” said a relative, who preferred to remain unnamed.
During the discussion, the DIG promised that he would find Gita by January 20 or else surrender to the police for investigation, her relatives claimed.
But DIG Koirala told Republica that he made no such promise. “All accusations against me are false. There is no evidence. And I have only agreed to do my part in looking for her,” he said.
He added that Gita might have traveled to India. “We have learnt that she had frequently traveled to India in the past. She might be on one of her trips,” he said.
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