Thirteen years old. Raped and murdered on the night of 26 July 2018.
0
Days Without Justice
— years, — months, — days
Case unresolved
Reinvestigation committee active since March 2026
What happened
On 26 July 2018, 13-year-old Nirmala Panta left her home in Bhimdatta, Kanchanpur, to study at her friend Roshani Bam's house. She left around 3 p.m. and never returned. Her family's attempt to report her missing that night was turned away by police, who told them to come back the next morning.
On the morning of 27 July, her body was found in a waterlogged sugarcane field near the Bam residence. The autopsy confirmed she had been raped and strangled to death. Police mishandling followed almost immediately — evidence was contaminated and her clothing was washed at the scene before it could be examined.
A suspect, Dilip Singh Bista, was arrested on 20 August 2018, but locals rejected the arrest and accused police of framing him. He was released on 12 September after his DNA failed to match samples from the crime scene. No one has been convicted in the eight years since.
How the country responded
#JusticeForNirmala became one of Nepal's largest social-movement hashtags, trending for weeks and drawing both domestic and international attention. Sit-ins, rallies, and marches spread across dozens of districts as citizens demanded accountability from the police and government.
Authorities responded to peaceful protests with baton charges and, in some instances, gunfire. For many young Nepalis, the case became a first encounter with civic activism — and a broader indictment of a justice system seen as slow, unaccountable, and indifferent to ordinary citizens.
Timeline
26 JUL 2018
Nirmala leaves her friend's house around 3 p.m. and never returns home. Her family's missing-person report is turned away by police that night.
27 JUL 2018
Her body is found in a sugarcane field near Bhimdatta. Autopsy confirms rape and strangulation. Nepal Student Union protests begin.
23 AUG 2018
Roshani Bam and her sister are arrested. A government probe committee is formed under Hari Prasad Mainali. SP Dilli Raj Bista is summoned to Kathmandu and later suspended.
12 SEP 2018
Suspect Dilip Singh Bista and the Bam sisters are released after his DNA fails to match crime-scene samples.
15 SEP 2018
A mass "Justice for Nirmala" rally is held at Maitighar Mandala, Kathmandu, converging at New Baneshwor. Simultaneous rallies are staged in nearly two dozen cities nationwide.
16–17 SEP 2018
A new nine-member probe committee is formed under DIG Dhiru Basnyat. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli meets Nirmala's parents and promises the perpetrator will be punished.
21 OCT 2018
Police Headquarters recommends expelling SP Dilli Raj Bista and Inspector Jagadish Bhatta over gross negligence in the investigation.
18 DEC 2018
Nirmala's mother, Durga Devi, files an FIR against eight police officials, accusing them of destroying evidence and botching the investigation.
14 JAN 2019
A second FIR is filed accusing four officers of torturing suspect Dilip Bista in custody to force a confession.
MAR 2019
The District Attorney formally charges eight police officials with evidence tampering and torture. Six are detained; SP Bista and DSP Angur GC later surrender and are granted bail.
19 NOV 2019
Journalist Khem Bhandari is convicted of defamation and sentenced to one hour in jail and a fine of one rupee, over reporting the court called "sensationalized."
30 JUL 2020
The Kanchanpur District Court acquits all eight police officials of evidence-tampering and torture charges.
AUG 2020
#JusticeForNirmala resurges nationally, two years on, as citizens flood the social media accounts of the Prime Minister and other officials.
31 DEC 2020
The Cabinet reinstates Bista and Inspector Bhatta to the police force, reversing their earlier dismissal.
3 AUG 2025
Seven years on, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak reiterates a commitment to "leave no stone unturned" during a visit to the Central Investigation Bureau. The case remains unsolved.
25 MAR 2026
A 15-member committee is formed under SSP Krishna Pangeni to study prior investigations and reinvestigate the case from the ground up.
2 JUL 2026
Journalist Khem Bhandari is taken into custody after a High Court upholds a separate defamation conviction tied to his reporting on the case — a reminder of how much scrutiny still surrounds it.
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