Police arrested Jiban BK, originally from Fulashi-8 of Ramechhap district, from his rented room at Tokha at 11:15 pm, Thursday, said AIG Bigyan Raj Sharma, Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner's Office (MPCO), Ranipokhari, during a press meet.
Two of the school girls-- Sangita Magar, 16, of Khaniya-8 Ramechhap and Sima Basnet, 15, of Paurahi-1 in Rautahat district-- were seriously injured after acid was hurled at them at the A Plus tuition center for SLC students, at Jhochhe, Basantapur.
Surmising that Sangita was the prime target of the attack, police zeroed in on BK, who was not in touch with his family and was said to be in Sikkim to retrieve Rs 50,000 that he had given to a man who assured him of a place in the Indian army.
"We were pretty certain it was revenge attack by someone of a similar age group and close to the victims," said AIG Sharma, adding, "To our surprise the families of the accused and the main victim lived in rented rooms at the same house at Jhochhe, near the tuition center."
He said going by statements made by the accused, the two families had been living in the same house since 2013 and had good mutual relations.
But things soured after they came to know about a relationship between Sangita and BK. It got even worse after BK brawled with Sangita's brother Santosh in November 2013 over marijuana use, according to the police. Sangita and her family resorted to harsh words with him and he decided to go for revenge. He learnt about acid attacks from Indian TV.
Last May, BK left for Sikkim to join the Indian army but things did not work out as expected. He returned to Kathmandu and lived separately at Tokha. In September, he bought some acid from a battery shop on New Road.
"Resentful that Sangita did not reciprocate his love, he had been looking for a chance to take revenge and made several unsuccessful attempts," police said.
Then on Feburay 22, he came to Jhochhen with the acid he had bought from the battery shop and looked for Sangita at her home. Not finding her there, he went to the A Plus tuition center nearby and hurled the acid, which he was carrying in a bottle, on her. Sima was also injured.
The acid attack victims, who are now taking their SLC exams, had met only at the tuition center and were from different schools.
Ten days after carrying out the attack, BK went to Sikkim and returned after eight days.
For days after the incident police had remained clueless and came under criticism from various quarters and pressure from higher up to expedite the case, which was being handled by SP Mira Chaudhary of Metropolitan Police Crime Division.
During investigations police interviewed the kin of the victims and friends and teachers, carried out polygraph tests on suspects and made enquiries with people who sell acid or use it. The law enforcement agencies criticized the victims and their families for not supporting the investigations. But AIG Sharma told the press meet, "The accused was in police cross hairs on the basis of statements from Sangita, the prime target."
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