KATHMANDU: A Nepali youth, charged with rape and murder of a girl some two decades back in Jhapa, has been brought to Nepal from the US today.

Leela Raj Gautam, 42, a permanent resident of Chandragadi of Jhapa district, has been brought to Nepal by Turkish Air on Wednesday from the US. He was arrested in the US with the support of Interpol in Washington DC.

The Interpol in Washington had arrested Gautam on February 13, 2018. Since then he was doing time in police custody in the US.

The Nepal Police, which had sought the support of Interpol for Gautam’s arrest, was in regular contact with the US authorities, including the US Immigration to bring back Gautam from the US.

Finally, on September 5, 2018, the US Immigration Department authorities had given the go-ahead to repatriate Gautam to Nepal.

According to the police, Gautam, along with his friends Manoj Khadka and Sita Ram Khadka, had raped and murdered a girl on October 15, 2000, in Chandragadi of Jhapa. Following the murder, they had hung the girl’s body on a tree.

The victim’s father, on the next day of the incident, lodged a complaint at the District Police Office in Chandragadi against the trio. The police then soon arrested the three people involved in the crime.

The district court, however, ordered the release of Gautam on November 6, 2001. The case was then taken to the Appellate Court, which later gave him a clean cheat.

The victim’s father moved the Supreme Court (SC) on September 4, 2009. The SC announced life sentence for all three alleged persons, including Gautam. However, Gautam had reached the US soon after the District Court had decided in his favor.

Gautam has been handed over to the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police for further investigation.