Author: space4knews

March 24, Pyuthan. Settlements along the Jimruk and Lung rivers are set to be integrated into mainstream development.

With the three concrete bridges under construction at Kitghat (Kutichaur), Dobh, and Machhi–Pidalne reaching their final stages, a wait of nearly two decades is nearing its end.

The river was the greatest obstacle for these settlements located on the opposite side of the Bagdula–Machhi and Bagdula–Bahane roads. Although dirt roads reached these areas, the absence of bridges hindered vehicle movement. Now, with these bridges completed, these communities will be directly connected to the road network, easing daily life and emergency access.

The Kitghat Bridge, started on June 21, 2024 (Ashad 7, 2081), with a budget of NPR 47.8 million, has been finished ahead of the scheduled deadline.

The construction company, Ashu Construction Services, aims to complete the Machhi–Pidalne Bridge, costing NPR 72.6 million, within this month of Ashad.

These bridges will particularly provide relief to residents of the Tushara Bensi area. Until recently, people had to wait to see vehicles cross the river, but now the geographical and developmental gap is closing.

The Lumbini Provincial Government allocated roughly NPR 310 million (NPR 31 crore) in the fiscal year 2079/80 (2022/23), enabling the implementation of this long-delayed plan.

Driven by Provincial Assembly Member Nima Giri’s initiative, the project includes the construction of bridges at Kitghat, Pidalne, and Dobh.

Currently, the Kitghat Bridge is fully operational, while the Pidalne Bridge is 85 percent complete, and the Dobh Bridge is about 50 percent finished. Once the Dobh Bridge is complete, residents from Dobh to Piplatari will benefit directly, and the Bahane–Machhi road will be directly connected.

The bridges have reduced not only travel distance but also travel time and risk. The need to detour roughly 11 kilometers via Bagdula to reach Machhi and Tushara from Bahane will soon become a thing of the past. Risks associated with river crossing during monsoon months are expected to be eliminated as well.

According to former Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission, Dr. Govindraj Pokhrel, although funding constraints caused delays, the plan had been conceptualized earlier.

“After the budget was secured, the project gained momentum,” he stated.

Meanwhile, NPR 350 million has been earmarked for the Bagdula–Machhi road and NPR 120 million for the Bagdula–Adheri road paving, with rapid progress underway. Provincial Minister Saroj Thapa has been monitoring the work and has directed that the projects be completed within the stipulated timeline.

These three bridges now represent gateways to opportunity for local communities—providing access to markets for agricultural products, hospitals for patients, schools for students, and emergency services directly at their doorsteps.

The project is expected to bring significant relief to the inhabitants of settlements along the Jimruk–Lung riverbanks.

March 23, Humla – A leopard entered a sheep pen in Chankheli Rural Municipality-5 and killed 45 sheep. This incident took place in an area called Porigaun.

Jasbahadur Tamang, a local resident of Chankheli Rural Municipality-5, reported that the leopard attacked the sheep pen on Sunday night, killing 45 sheep.

Tamang stated that the sheep, owned by local resident Ratan Tamang, were brought from the forest to graze and kept inside the pen when the leopard launched its attack, resulting in the loss of all 45 sheep.

March 23, Kathmandu – Gagan Kumar Thapa, president of the Nepali Congress, has urged the entire party cadre to now focus on the upcoming party convention.

Addressing the party’s central working committee meeting on Tuesday, he made clear that the convention journey is under his leadership and will not be halted.

He argued that there should be no biases regarding who participated or did not participate in the previous convention.

“A special convention was held under exceptional circumstances. That special convention elected new leadership. We participated in those elections. From now on, there will be no differences regarding who took part before or after that special convention,” said President Thapa.

He emphasized progressing forward with consensus and unity by ensuring equal participation in the convention.

“I have been leading this vehicle as president, and it will not stop now. Especially, there will be no bias regarding who participated in the special convention or not,” he added. “I have also requested the vice presidents and several leaders to move ahead by including everyone.”

March 23 (10 Chaitra), Surkhet – The investigation into the rape and murder of 16-year-old Inisa Bika remains unfinished. Inisa, who died on 23 Falgun, has been held in the morgue of Karnali Province Hospital for 18 days.

Her body has been waiting for justice for the past 18 days. The victim’s family refuses to proceed with the cremation unless justice is delivered for their daughter.

“Our daughter’s life is lost; what purpose would it serve to perform her last rites now? We have decided not to claim her body until the perpetrators are punished,” said Indra Bahadur Bika, Inisa’s father. “Delay in justice is equivalent to denial of justice. We urge for swift justice.”

Across the country, protests and pressure campaigns continue to demand justice for Inisa. The family remains dissatisfied as the full details have yet to be publicly disclosed even after 18 days.

With the delay in justice, Indra Bahadur, who works in Dubai, is nearing the end of his leave. “My holiday is over. I invested in going to Dubai for work, with good salary and benefits,” he said. “The cremation has not yet taken place here, yet they have begun summoning me there.”

Though his daughter is no longer alive, he must return abroad for his son and family’s support. However, he has started doubting whether his daughter will ever receive justice. “The police have not provided clear information about the case so far. It seems the incident is becoming mysterious,” he added.

Immediately following the incident, the victim’s family registered charges of murder and rape against all four accused, claiming it was a case of gang rape followed by murder. On 23 Falgun, police detained a 16-year-old boy on charges of rape at the crime scene. Based on his statement, three other individuals were also taken into custody for investigation.

CIB Completes Investigation and Returns

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) team that came to Surkhet for the probe into Inisa’s case has returned to Kathmandu.

DSP Mahonjang Budhathapa, information officer of Surkhet District Police Office, stated, “The CIB team completed their investigation and returned to Kathmandu on Sunday. We are in the final phase of the investigation and are awaiting two laboratory reports.”

Following nationwide protests demanding truth and justice for Inisa involving schools, students, and social organizations, the Surkhet Police requested additional support from CIB on 28 Falgun. From 29 Falgun, a specialized team led by a police inspector has been working on the investigation.

The District Police Office had already completed its first phase of investigation. Considering the severity of the case, they sought assistance from the CIB for the further probe. Meanwhile, the District Police Office has formed a separate team to work on the investigation concurrently.

In total, four teams from Nepal Police, including the CIB, have conducted investigations into this incident.

Current Status of Investigation

The investigation into the Inisa case is in its concluding stage. The CIB has submitted its report to the Surkhet Police.

According to DSP Budhathapa, the police have completed all investigative work except for three pending reports: toxicological, viscera, and bio-serological. The investigation will conclude once these reports are received. “The postmortem, CIB, and digital reports are already in. The forensic report is also expected soon,” he said.

The postmortem report indicates that Inisa died due to severe injuries to her sensitive organs resulting in excessive bleeding after forced sexual intercourse.

The youth arrested at the scene stated that he lost consciousness due to heavy bleeding during intercourse with Inisa. The other three accused claimed they were only there to assist.

The police have confirmed that the statements of the youth and details from security camera timings and call records align with each other.

Charges to be Filed Against All Four Accused

Authorities are preparing to file charges against all four accused in connection with Inisa’s case. Statements and forensic test reports of all detained individuals are ready for submission to the government attorney’s office.

“We have completed 99 percent of the investigation. In the next day or two, all reports will be sent to the government attorney,” said an officer involved in the investigation.

The 16-year-old boy detained was reportedly in a consensual relationship with Inisa for some time and had gone to the forest near Shaheed Park on the morning of 23 Falgun.

According to his statement, the sexual contact was consensual until he suddenly lost consciousness due to Inisa’s heavy bleeding. “When Inisa stopped responding, I became frightened and called my friends,” he said.

The other three youths reportedly arrived only to provide assistance. Based on statements and CCTV footage, the timeline matches according to police, though their involvement remains unconfirmed.

The police also stated that charges will be filed against the three as well for failure to report the incident to authorities promptly.