JUMLA, Jan 7: Police have an absconding serial killer and robber Bedan Raj Thapa while investigating the case of lost idols of Chandannath Temple of Jumla district.
Thapa, a local of Garjyakot of Jumla, has long been accused of spreading terror in the district. Although he has been formally charged with one murder case and three cases of robbery, locals believe he is involved in multiple murders. He was arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) about two weeks ago but the police made him public only on Friday.
Stolen archaeological idols not yet detected
The investigation of the stolen idols has also led to the discovery of over half a dozen of automated guns, their bullets and explosives in the district. However, police are yet to arrest those responsible for stealing the idols from the temple on November 26 last year.
“Although we are yet to get into the root of the investigation on Jumla's stolen idols, most of the suspects we arrested were found to be involved in other crimes,” said Inspector Bhisma Humagain of the CIB. “As we have deployed intelligence throughout the country to investigate into the case of the temple's stolen idols, the team has succeeded in arresting various criminals during the investigation. This is bound to discourage criminal activities,” he added.
Although police are yet to arrest the fugitive involved in stealing the temple's idols, locals of Jumla have expressed happiness in the progress of the investigation. “The investigation has indeed made the district more peaceful. Arresting the criminals and confiscating weapons and explosives is indeed a big achievement,” said Bhairb Bhahadur Dharal, a local.
The CIB team investigating the stolen idols had recovered two sets of self loading rifles, three sets of pistols and three sets of revolvers from a forest of Garjyakot-8 on November 26. Likewise, they also had recovered an Indian automated pistol, two sets of Indian revolvers, and five rounds of bullets, among others, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Madav Nepal, chief of the Mid-western Regional Police Office.
