Since the establishment of the Mahakali Police Post in Dimberghat, Pancheshwar Rural Municipality-2, local residents have accused the police of increasing insecurity. Chief District Officer Bhimkant Sharma stated that the police post was relocated after residents pressured the authorities to move it, following allegations against former Police Constable Krishna Raj Joshi of the Dimberghat Police Post for the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl from the area. Local residents expressed outrage over the disappearance of the missing girl, stating that they felt unsafe with the police in Dimbarghat. After demands from locals and elected representatives to relocate the police post, the District Security Committee decided to shift the post to Kulau, according to Chief District Officer Sharma.
Inspector Janak Dhungana of the District Police Office, Baitadi, stated that the rented house of the Mahakali Police Post is in a dilapidated condition, unsuitable for more than five people to reside, located in an area not easily accessible from the settlement, and lacks communication facilities, which is why the police post has been relocated. Dhungana added that regular patrols will continue from the Kulau Police Post, as there is a possibility of illegal goods being smuggled from Dimbarghat along the Mahakali River.
A 17-year-old girl from Dimbarghat went missing on October 11, 2024, allegedly due to Police Constable Krishna Raj Joshi. Local representatives, along with 64 residents, submitted a petition to the District Administration Office in Baitadi, demanding the relocation of the police post, citing increasing insecurity and the lack of information regarding the missing girl’s status. Police Constable Joshi was taken into custody while attempting to flee to India after allegedly causing the disappearance of the girl. After locals handed him over to the police for action, Joshi has been held in custody, with the district court extending his remand three times as the investigation into the incident continues, according to Inspector Dhungana of the District Police Office, Baitadi.
Police Constable Joshi has acknowledged in his statement that he knew and had a relationship with the girl and that they met on the morning of October 11, 2024. However, he claims to be unaware of her disappearance. Inspector Dhungana reported that searches have been conducted in all possible locations for the missing girl, but her status remains unknown.