E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JUN 27 - Nepal Police (NP) that has failed to solve mysteries surrounding abduction, murder and attempted murder of some high-profile persons has come under increasing pressure to unearth truth behind these cases.

NP has formed three probe teams to investigate the abduction of Dr. Bhaktaman Shrestha, executive director of Chitwan-based BP Memorial Cancer Hospital on May 18. The abductors freed Shrestha after 19 days of captivity, leaving the investigators almost clueless about the ‘organised criminals’ and their larger motive.

One month has elapsed since his release, but the investigators are still collecting evidences to solve the mystery behind Shrestha’s abduction and subsequent release in return of 3.50 kg of gold worth Rs. 11 million as ransom.

Though investigators claimed the abduction was a handiwork of professional criminals, the abductors continue to evade arrest. What deterred the investigators to nail the criminals in the first place?

AIG Prakash Kunwar, who headed the second probe team on the case, reached the conclusion that criminals equipped with latest technology deterred the ill-equipped NP from tracing the hideouts of the racket.

In yet another high profile case, an unidentified gang shot at Dr. Nagender K Pampati, MD of a Bharatpur-based College of Medical Sciences at Lazimpat in the Capital. Almost four months have passed but the investigators have failed to get hold of any suspects and ascertain the motive behind attempted murder of Pampati. Worse, as the investigators said, the case is almost shelved because they are busy searching criminals involved in recent criminal cases.

Likewise, the police also failed to arrest any henchmen involved in the murder of Janakpur-based media entrepreneur Arun Singhania, who was shot dead in less than a month after another Capital-based media entrepreneur Jamim Shah was murdered. Police team dispatched to Janakpur to probe the murder, returned empty-handed, saying that the killers fled to India.

Similarly, the murder of Jamim Shah, who was reportedly gunned down under the direction of Indian gangster Babloo Shrivastava continues to remain a mystery as the masterminds, including DSP Jagdish Chand, managed to evade arrest although investigators have come up with a voluminous report and managed to arrest associates of the gang, including police Sub-inspector Prakash Chhetri.

These are some of the criminal cases in which police has fared badly. Why has the police failed to unravel the mysteries behind all these cases?

Investigators attribute this situation to lack of follow up of past crimes, trained manpower and funds. Police Spokesman Bigyan Raj Sharma admitted that investigation part of the police had been affected or delayed due to lack of scientific equipment, and enough matrial and human resources.

He maintained, “It may seem that some high profile cases are being shelved as investigators are more engaged in recent crimes. However, we have left no stone unturned in the follow up of past crimes. The need of the hour is to overhaul the investigation part.” Most investigators complain that their requests to improve intelligence had long fallen into a deaf ear.

The police are also to blame for their sluggish pace in search operations that give criminals an opportunity to escape.

Posted on: 2010-06-27 09:12

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