KANCHANPUR, Aug 27: Superintendent of Police Kuber Kadayat has concluded that the rape and murder of Nirmala Panta, 13, was planned. "Nobody can rape and murder someone in broad daylight when there's ample movement," he said, "We believe that the rape and murder was preplanned."

Kadayat said that while there might be some complications to investigate into the case after a month, they would, however, nab the culprit.  He said that if they had gone to the crime scene immediately, they would have been able to gather evidences much easily. "However, each criminal leaves behind traces and we will find it out." He believes that the evidence will be between the two Bam sisters (Babita and Roshni) and the crime scene. Other ways to garner proofs would be DNA tests, tracking call details among others.

On Friday, police arrested the two sisters. "We've extended custodial warrant time from the court. We will start recording their statements from Monday," he said adding that they didn't do so on Saturday and Sunday because of holidays.

He said that they were examining initial investigations carried out by the police. Former SP of the district, Dilli Bista and the Central Investigation Bureau had been reluctant to investigate into the incident, thereby leading to protests in the district.

Locals said that following the murder, a room of Bam sisters was painted. The guava tree from where Nirmala plucked guava has been chopped. Dipendra Bam, Roshni's father said that they had to cut the tree after passersby kept snatching the branches.  

A local, Mahesh Upreti argues that the evidences shows that the murder wasn't done by a common person. "Somebody--powerful, has done so in a planned way. Nirmala was raped in a secure house and her body was thrown in the sugarcane field," Upreti said.

Moti Bahadur Nepal runs a shop near the crime scene. He said that there were movements from from 4 AM to 11 PM. "The body must have been thrown between midnight to 3 AM," he said adding that when they had gone to the sugarcane field to search Nirmala, they had found three different footprints. "There could have been at least three people involved in the incident."

There are ample mysteries surrounding the case: Durga Devi's, Nirmala's mother was declined to enter Bam sisters' house when she inquired about her missing daughter; the police were reluctant to search the girl despite Durga Devi pleading for help until 2 AM; the books of Nirmala were dry even when there had been rainfall that day; one of her slippers has been missing; a mentally ill person was framed as the culprit; and after 26 days, police furnished a piece of cloth and a condom's packet.

INVESTIGATION TEAM AT NIRMALA'S HOUSE

A five member high level investigation committee formed to investigate the case reached Nirmala's house and inquired with the deceased's parents on Sunday. The committee also observed house of Bam sisters and the crime scene and interacted with locals. The committee was formed under joint secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, Hari Prasad Mainali.

"We will investigate whether or not the previous police investigation had been careless. We will report what had happened and what should now happen." He added that they would cooperate with the police as they were responsible to carry out necessary investigations.  

 
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