It has also formed a three-member probe team under Chief of Koshi Zonal Police Office, Dharan Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mingmar Lama to investigate the nexus between DSP Thapa and Basnet.[break]
“Thapa has been called to the regional office for investigation,” Chief of the Eastern Regional Police Office Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Binod Singh said. “He has also been called as he is likely to use his position to influence the case against Basnet,” DIG Singh added.
DSP Thapa has been found to have contacted Basnet over 20 times in between the attacks on inmate Abhishek Giri and Dhakal. The call details of Basnet, shows Basnet (9852021650) had called DSP Thapa (9842405555) six times on the day Dhakal was attacked. DSP Thapa then talked with Basnet for a minute at 3:39 am a few hours after the attack on Dhakal. By the time inspector Durga Regmi, who had rushed for rescue of Dhakal, had already arrested Basnet´s close aide Rohit Koirala.
DSP Thapa and Basnet had talked for 00:02:05 from 10:00:10 am, 00:00:05 at 11:30 am and another four times within 11 am on June 5, the day Dhakal was attacked. Basnet has been found using his cell phone till 6:15 pm the day after the attack. His cell phone that was switched off at 6:18 pm on June 6 was switched on four days later.
A police officer said DSP Thapa had been leaking information about the police plan to Basnet over phone.
The three-member probe committee, that also includes SP Pradumna Karki at Morang Police and DSP Lokendra Shrestha at the zonal office, has been asked to submit its report within five days. “The probe committee has already begun its investigations from Thursday,” DIG Singh said.
Police have also sought clarification from SP Thakur Ram Bartoula, who was the chief of Morang Police when the attack on Giri took place, for not arresting the perpetrators of the two big attacks and slackening the pace of investigations on Basnet. SP Bartoula was replaced by Karki from Wednesday.
Prohibitory order extended till 6 pm Friday
Morang District Administration Office on Thursday extended prohibitory orders issued in Biratnagar to prevent possible law and order breakdown till 6 pm Friday. Chief District Officer (CDO) Suresh Adhikari said the prohibitory order has been extended to prevent possible violence as the situation hasn´t improved despite the earlier prohibitory order.
The order that had prohibited gathering of more than five people in areas from Kanchanbari in the north to Road Shesh in the south, Hatkhola in the east to Bakharigaon in the west on Thursday will be effective even during the extended period.
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