Himal Press 
POKHARA: Police have arrested Armed Police Force (APF) Inspector Bibek Joshi for an investigation into the death of fellow APF Inspector Santoshi Mahat in Pokhara.
Santoshi (28), who was undergoing basic training, was found dead under suspicious circumstances inside her barrack on Monday.
Superintendent of Police Shyam Babu Oli, the chief of the District Police Office, Kaski, confirmed Joshi’s arrest. “We have secured a seven-day remand for Joshi from Kaski District Court for investigation into the case,” Oli added.
Santoshi, who hailed from Sindhupalchowk district, was undergoing training at the Crowd and Riot Control Training School in Lamachaur, Pokhara. Her body was found hanging from a beam in the women’s restroom on the barrack premises Saturday. Santoshi’s family accused Joshi of abetting her suicide. The family filed a complaint at the District Police Office, Kaski, claiming that Mahat and Joshi were in a relationship and that Joshi’s actions led to her alleged suicide.
Meanwhile, the APF Headquarters has formed a five-member investigation committee under DIG Laxman Singh to probe the incident.
Mahat joined the APF as a constable in 2015 and was promoted to the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in 2021. She was selected for the rank of Inspector last year and had recently begun her training.
