The District Police Office of Dailekh had sought seven days for investigating charges leveled against the Maoist cadres after public prosecutors failed to record statements of all the five accused within five days previously granted by the court. [break]
The District Attorney Office of Dailekh had again started recording statements of the accused Wednesday after the court granted police seven more days for investigation.
Earlier in the morning, hundreds of locals took to streets exerting pressure on the public prosecutors to restart recording statements of the accused.
They had staged demonstrations following rumors that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had once again exerted pressure on the public prosecutors to halt recording of statements through Inspector General Kuber Singh Rana and Attorney General Mukti Pradhan.
Following the protests by locals, public prosecutors started recording statements of the accused Thursday afternoon. Even on last Tuesday, recording of the statements was stopped reportedly under "direct pressure" from PM Bhattarai.
As the accused were escorted to the district court on Thursday, hundreds of locals shouted slogans demanding that the culprits be punished.
The locals have called off their strike after the public prosecutors started recording the statements of the accused.
Two admit to murder
While recording statements, two of the five accused -- Lakshiram Gharti Magar and Nirak Bahadur Gharti Magar -- have admitted that they were involved in killing journalist Thapa. They also said that they were ready to face any punishment for the crime. Lakshiram, whose preliminary statement paved the way for the police to arrest four Maoist cadres, has also revealed that Bam Bahadur Khadka was mainly responsible for Thapa´s murder.
Public prosecutors are now recording statements of remaining three of the accused -- Harilal Pun, Birbahadur KC and Jaybahadur Shahi. Three of four people against whom Thapa´s wife Laxmi had lodged a written complaint against are still at large.
Journalist Thapa was abducted and killed in August, 2004. He was working as a reporter for Radio Nepal and was also the chairman of a local drinking water project.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Nepal Press Union has reached Dailekh to take stock of the investigation on Thapa´s murder case and also threats facing local journalists.
Related story
Jewelers sent to judicial custody for financial fraud
