The Nepal Police has assigned Superintendent of Police Durga Singh Chand to assist the investigation into the July rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur.

“The case is related to women and children. A female officer’s presence in the team will ease the investigation,” Central Police Spokesperson Senior SSP Shailesh Thapa Kshetri told the Post.

A nine-member committee led by Deputy Inspector General Dhiru Basnyat is investigating 16 officers, who misled preliminary investigation into the case.

“The officials are being interrogated and statements recorded,” said SSP Thapa. Following a preliminary report of the five-member committee led by Director General of the Department of Prison Management Hari Prasad Mainali, the Home Ministry on Saturday suspended DSPs Gyan Bahadur Sethi and Angur GC, Inspectors Ekendra Khadka and Jagadish Bhatta and Assistant Sub-inspector Ram Singh Dhami.