The Kanchanpur District Court has extended the judicial remand of Dilip Singh Bista, a mentally challenged person who police deem as the prime suspect in the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta, by four days. The court said the remand extension would be effective from Friday.

A single bench of district judge Rajendra Kumar Acharya extended Bista’s remand on Sunday as demanded by police. It was expected that Bista could be released on Sunday as a high level probe team formed by Ministry of Home Affairs and National Human Rights Commission said that police mishandled the preliminary investigation process and possibly destroying evidences of the case.

The District Police Office in Kanchanpur had presented 41-year-old Bista, of Bhimdutta Municipality-19, before the media on August 20 as the main suspect behind the gruesome rape and murder of the teenager. The court had remanded him for 10 days in judicial custody the same day. Bista, who was taken to Kathmandu on August 28 for medical examinations, was flown back to Mahendranagar on Friday.

Meanwhile, Kanchanpur police submitted Bista’s medical report at the court on Sunday. “Bista’s medical examination reports have been presented at the court. We cannot make it public as the investigation is underway,” said Hari Krishna Awasthi, registrar at the court. He further said Bista’s remand was extended as there was some progress in the investigation of the rape and murder.

Bista spent 10 days in Kathmandu undergoing medical examinations at TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj and Patan Hospital in Lalitpur. According to police, his mental state and sex drive were examined in the Capital.

The protest in Mahendranagar turned violent after police paraded Bista as the main accused in the crime. Nirmala’s relatives and the local people have been claiming that Bista is innocent. They have been accusing the police administration of framing an innocent man to protect the real culprits of the crime. A teenage boy died and several others were injured after the protests turned on August 24.

Girl’s death sparks protest in Mahakali

Locals of Chakki Bazaar in Mahakali Mujjnicipality-7, Kanchanpur, staged sit-in outside the municipality office demanding investigation into the suspicious death of Kabita Thagunna. The 17-year-old girl was found hanging at her residence on Wednesday. The locals started staging sit-in from Saturday claiming that the victim could have been murdered. Police said they have launched an investigation after detaining the victim’s father-in-law and domestic helper.