DSP kills self in Capital

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Deputy Superintendent of Police Kanchan Thapa today committed suicide by shooting himself at a house in Srijanatole of Basundhara.

An investigating official informed that DSP Thapa fired a shot in his right temple at around 6:30 pm in the veranda of the third floor of the house owned by Purusottam Giri, saying it was not a killing. A woman by name of Shweta Adhikari was living in that floor as a tenant for the last 15 months.

A source said though Thapa owned an apartment in Orient Colony, Dhumbarahi, where his wife and a son live, he was a frequent visitor to the rented flat of Adhikari. According to the source, DSP Thapa was living together with Adhikari.

The police have recovered an automatic pistol loaded with nine rounds of bullets, a communication set, a three-page suicide note and beer bottles from the site. He had procured the firearm with 10 rounds of bullets from his office in the afternoon today. The suicide note read that he decided to kill self due to family and financial pressure. “Recently, I sold the apartment for Rs 5 million and invested the money in another field, which incurred a huge loss on me,” an investigating official quoted the excerpts of the suicide note. The police have arrested Adhikari for interrogation.

Hailing from Biratnagar, Thapa (41) began his career with Nepal Police on March 24, 1993 as Inspector. He was promoted to DSP on June 5, 2005. Of late, his posting was in Special Operation Force, NP Headquarters.

DIG Nawa Raj Dhakal, NP Spokesperson, remembered Thapa as a quick-minded, experienced and creative police official when it came to maintaining law and order. “He was enjoying his job,” DIG Dhakal informed. “He was a dutiful police official.”

The police ruled out the possible cause of suicide as frustration in the job. His contemporaries and relatives said Thapa had not shown any symptoms of his ending life like this. His body has been referred to TU Teaching Hospital for autopsy.