Deputy Superintendent of Police Tika Bahadur KC, the in-charge of Metropolitan Police Circle Office, Kirtipur had lost his loaded pistol after a skirmish with disgruntled locals, who tried to attack the Everest gas plant for its failure to distribute cooking gas as promised earlier.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Bikram Singh Thapa, chief of Metropolitan Police Range Office, Teku, the seven rounds of ammunition in the pistol were intact.
The police, who were clueless about the whereabouts of the pistol until its discovery, feared that wrongdoers might misuse the weapon.
“We are investigating the matter. So far, we have not found any criminal records on Karki,” SSP Thapa said. According the police, Karki has admitted his crime but claimed that he had no intention to snatch the weapon from the police.
He has claimed that he took away the pistol in a sudden fit of anger.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner has formed a probe panel under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General Madhusudhan Pudasaini to ascertain the reason behind the snatching of weapon and to probe how the situation got out of control despite the sizable presence of security personnel.
The police had to lob teargas shells and bring in reinforcements to control the situation after the locals turned violent and pelted stones at the gas plant.
Following the incident, DSP Tika Bahadur KC was replaced by another DSP Prem Basnet at the circle office.
The police have already arrested eight people on the charge of vandalizing and seizing weapon from a police officer on duty. Karki would be charged under arms and ammunition act and looting, the police said.
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