The Social Justice and Human Rights Committee (SJHRC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Friday directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to form a central probe committee and carry out thorough investigation into the gang-rape of a speech-impaired woman allegedly by Armed Police Force personnel.

Stating that it was not convinced by the police report, which had showed involvement of “only two APF personnel” in the crime, the parliamentary committee directed Minister for Home Affairs Shakti Bahadur Basnet and chiefs of Nepal Police and APF to carry out a thorough investigation and provide medical treatment and counselling and compensation the victim.

The committee had summoned Minister Basnet, Nepal Police Chief Upendra Kant Aryal and APF Chief Durja Kumar Rai on Friday to discuss the matter. IG Aryal and IG Rai have assured the committee members that perpetrators would be brought to book.

“We told the government and law enforcement agencies to make sure that the perpetrators are brought to book and justice is delivered to the victim,” said Sushil Kumar Shrestha, chairperson of the SJHRC. “Minister Basnet has vowed to take action against the culprits.”

The speech-impaired woman, 35, was allegedly gang-raped by APF personnel on the bank of the Jabi stream near the APF battalion in Chandrauta, Kapilvastu, on June 12. The victim has said at least 10 men were involved in the crime. But police so far have arrested two persons—APF Constable Lokraj Wosti and APF Assistant Head Constable Raju Chaudhary—for their involvement in the crime.

The house committee, which has formed a five-member panel to investigate into the case, on Friday, also directed the security agencies to put a strong mechanism in place to make sure such incidents are not repeated in future.