The Nepal Police Headquarters on Saturday inititated the process to suspend Inspector Laxman Singh Thakuri of the Metropolitan Police Circle, Durbarmarg, who had forced a rape victim to settle the case with the perpetrators. 

Deputy Inspector General Manoj Neupane, spokesperson for Nepal Police, said the process was on to suspend Inspector Thakuri after a probe found that Inspector Thakuri did not cooperate with the victim to lodge a complaint. “We have already suspended Sub-Inspector Chandra Bhandari of Durbarmarg Circle. The process to suspend Inspector Thakuri has begun,” said DIG Neupane.

The police headquarters had initiated action against the officials at the recommendation of the Metropolitan Police Range, Teku. 

Superintendent of Police Ram Dutta Joshi, who leads an investigation team from Police Range, Teku, said they had sought action against inspector and sub-inspector for their misconduct in the case. But SP Joshi did not elaborate what the misconduct was, saying that their role on the case would be made public soon.

Four men raped the woman in Landmark Hotel on January 25. In her statements, the victim said she was offered momo and wine by the man she knew for the past six months. After the drink, she “felt drowsy and lethargic”. The four men took her to the hotel and undressed her. She said a person who “called himself a policeman” recorded video of the incident.

The next day, the victim went to the police station at Durbarmarg to register a complaint. But Inspector refused to register her complaint and urged her instead to settle the issue with the perpetrators of the crime.