KATHMANDU, July 31: Police arrested Ranjan Khadka, 39, in connection with the 2007 murder of Professor Dharma Raj Bista from Nepal Commerce Campus. The arrest, made on July 31 in Bangalore, India, marks the end of a 17-year manhunt. Khadka had been evading capture while working as a dyer in India.

The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, led by SSP Sanuram Bhattarai, publicly revealed Khadka's arrest on July 31. According to the police, Professor Bista was brutally attacked after being slapped and subsequently struck with a rod, leading to his death. The incident occurred on 10 July, 2007, in Sankhamul, where Bista was found unconscious and later died from his injuries during treatment.

The investigation into Bista's murder has been ongoing for years. Earlier, Sabita Thapa Adhikari was arrested on 19 March 2024, for her involvement in the case. She was later released on bail of Rs 300,000. The case revealed that Thapa, a resident of Gangajamuna Rural Municipality-7, Lalitpur, was connected to the murder due to a dispute with Bista.

The dispute reportedly began when Professor Bista teased Thapa. Thapa shared the incident with her brother Binod Thapa, who then took the help of his close associates, including Khadka and Rajiv Pandey, to plan and execute the murder. The group lured Bista to Sankhamul and attacked him, leaving him severely injured.

Binod Thapa was previously arrested for drug offenses on 16 March 2013. He served a four-year sentence and was fined Rs 200,000. Following his release, he was brought to the Lalitpur District Court, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment but was later released on 19 September 2022, during the Constitution Day.

Similarly, Rajiv Pandey, who was also involved in the crime, was arrested on 3 May 2012. He was held in Dillibazar Jail until his release on 29 May 2019. During the investigation, Khadka's property was frozen for two years, and he had remained out of contact with authorities during that period.

Khadka’s arrest concludes a long search for justice in this high-profile case. The police said that Khadka will now face legal proceedings in court.

 
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