Thapa was found to have held repeated telephonic conversations with Basnet immediately after the attack on jailbird Avishek Giri inside the district court premises and journalist Dhakal over a month ago. [break]
Police had formed a high-level probe committee under Special Superintendent Police (SSP) of Koshi Zonal Police Office Mingmar Lama after the call details of Thapa and Basnet were made public.
The probe committee´s report says the conversations were about security arrangements for the visit of UML leader KP Oli to Biratnagar.
“The conversation was about the security arrangements for KP Oli and DSP Thapa had advised Basnet to immediately surrender before the authorities,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) at the Eastern Regional Police Office Binod Singh said. “There have been no wrongdoings on DSP Thapa´s part according to the investigation,” DIG Singh added.
However, Oli was out of the country at the time and chief of the organizational front of Morang UML Rishikesh Pokharel said Oli had no formal schedule to visit Biratnagar over the past one-and-a-half month.
The three-member committee was directed to submit its report within three days in the beginning but its mandate was later extended for over a week.
DSP Thapa had lodged a public offense complaint against Basnet´s accomplices though the attack was apparently carried out with an intention of killing jailbird Giri. Moreover, Basnet had taken responsibility for the attack at a press meet.
DSP Thapa had also refused to register an attempt to murder complaint against Basnet and those involved in the attack. Morang Police has recently lodged an attempt to murder case against Basnet and 40 others following intense pressure from the media.
A police officer has claimed that DSP Thapa had tipped Basnet off when he could have been arrested immediately after the attack on Dhakal on June 5. The district court has sent Youth Force Biratnagar Chief Rohit Koirala and member Manoj Rai to judicial custody but Basnet has yet to be arrested though an arrest warrant has been issued against him.
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