The Kanchanpur District Court on Sunday ordered to release Dilli Raj Bista, a superintendent of police, on Rs1.05 million bail.

Bista stands accused of torture and evidence tampering in connection with Nirmala Pant rape and murder case.

Nirmala, 13, was raped and murdered on July 26 last year in Bhimdutta Municipality, Kanchanpur. Bista was the chief of Kanchanpur police then.

Read: Officials sleep as victims weep

A single bench of Judge Rajendra Kumar Acharya ordered to release Bista on Rs1.05 million bail, informed court registrar Hari Krishna Awasthi.

On March 6, the Office of District Attorney lodged a case against eight police officials for their alleged involvement in torture and evidence destruction during investigating into Nirmala’s rape and murder.

Six of them were presented before the court and then taken into custody immediately. They were freed on March 14 on bail.

Bista and suspended deputy superintendent of police Angur GC were on the run.

Bista had surrendered before district court on March 19.

Durga Devi Pant, mother of Nirmala, on December 18 last year had filed a public offence case against Bista and seven other police officials for evidence destruction.

Khadak Singh Bista, brother of Dilip Singh Bista who was arrested and projected as the perpetrator, had filed a separate case against four police officials including Dilli Bista accusing them of torture in custody.

Dilip Singh was later released after he was found innocent. 

Even eight months after police have failed to solve Nirmala rape and murder case. Investigations teams formed by the government had found that police had made a bungle of the case.

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