Though SSP Shrestha was not given departmental punishment, police officials described it as a symbolic action at the preliminary stage as the high-level probe committee´s report was yet to be studied in detail. [break]
Three-member high-level probe committee under Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Bhisma Prasai on Friday submitted its report to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kuber Singh Rana.
Police sources said that probe committee has submitted an in-depth investigative report which alleged SSP Shrestha was indirectly involved in foreign currency smuggling. However (IGP) Rana said the police will take departmental action after the detail study of the report. He told Republica, “The report requires detailed study detail and police won´t spare anyone who is involved directly or indirectly.”
Absconding Police head Constable Sovit Karki, who was a driver of SSP Shrestha, was proved to be involved in currency smuggling with the help of CCTV camera footage. He is on run since CCTV record was made public in which he was seen providing foreign currencies to Indian national Binod Kumar Soni.
Meanwhile DIG Narayan Bastakoti, chief of TIA security was transferred to Human Resource Department of the police for not being able to handle the responsibility of keeping officers under his command under discipline and of failing to manage TIA security professionally.
Though the report of the probe commission didn´t find DIG Bastakoti´s involvement in currency smuggling, police official believe that transfer itself amounts to punishment.
Police had formed a probe panel amidst a growing criticism of police involvement in TIA currency haul. The team was given seven days to prepare a report on the lapses in police security system, people involved in the smuggling and suggest measures to prevent repeat of such incidents in the future.
Police had arrested Indian national Soni with nine different foreign currencies totaling Rs 12.4 million from aboard a Fly Dubai plane at TIA on Oct 6.
The illegal currencies was seized when a man, Milan KC, called the duty officer of TIA claiming that Fly Dubai Aircraft had a bomb which was followed by a police check of the aircraft.
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