Lawmakers across the party line have slammed excessive use for force in Mahendranagar to quell protests demanding justice for the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta.

They accused the local administration of not booking the real culprit. Police lobbed tear gas canisters and swung batons and even fired bullets at demonstrators. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Thursday, lawmakers alleged that the administration was ignoring public concerns while working at the culprit’s behest.

Taking special time, Nepali Congress MP Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said the government was trying to silence protesters with force to save the culprit. Police have arrested Dilip Kumar Bista suspecting his role in the rape and murder. Locals don’t take him to be the culprit and demand that Pant’s friend Roshani Bam and her family be interrogated as last persons to see her alive.

“The local administration’s attempt to protect the culprit has given room for politicising the issue,” said Nepal Communist Party lawmaker Radha Gyawali. She even demanded death penalty for those convicted of heinous crimes like rape and murder. (PR)