Police have arrested the main suspect involved in a gang rape that took place at Durbarmarg-based Landmark Hotel in Kathmandu on January 25.

A police team deployed from the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, rounded up Shailesh Karki, the main accused, on Tuesday. Three others—Deepak Shrestha, Bikash Gautam and Rabi Paudel, accused in the rape case are still on the run.

According to preliminary investigation, the accused had also tried to settle the case by paying Rs 3 million to Inspector Laxman Thakuri and Sub-Inspector Chandra Bhandari of the Metropolitan Police Circle, Durbarmag.

The culprits had allegedly paid Rs 2.7 million to the victim’s mother and Rs 300,000 to an agent to settle the case.

Four men had raped a woman at Landmark Hotel in Durbarmarg on January 25. One of the men is said to be the woman’s boyfriend. The next day, the woman went to the Metropolitan Police Circle, Durbarmarg, but Inspector Thakuri refused to register her complaint and told her to settle the issue with the perpetrators of the crime.

Following a widespread condemnation about the police negligence in the case, the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 5 suspended Inspector Thakuri for not registering a rape case when the victim herself made complaint at the police station.

Thakuri and Sub-inspector Bhandari had allegedly tried to settle the case instead of opting formal procedure regarding the complaint.

Earlier, Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, had recommended the Nepal Police Headquarters to suspend Inspector Thakuri after the incident came to light following media reports.