Police have taken 8 people into custody in the incident where the principal of Sampal Secondary School in Sunsera, Beas Rural Municipality-4 was found dead. Principal Baldev Singh Dhami was found dead in the school on Monday morning.

Police have taken 8 people, including a school teacher, into custody and started an investigation into the abetment to suicide case. According to Hemraj Bhatta, Information Officer of the District Police Office, the people whose names were mentioned by Principal Dhami in his Facebook status on Monday before his death are being taken into custody and an investigation is underway.

An investigation has been initiated into the death of 46-year-old Principal Dhami of Bhagwati, Malikarjun Rural Municipality-2, in the case of 'abetment to suicide' under the crime of murder, he said. According to him, the investigation is being carried out with permission from the District Court, Darchula, to keep the arrested persons in custody for 10 days.

The arrested persons include the persons mentioned by the deceased principal Dhami in his status. He said that Sampal Mavi teachers Vikram Singh Kuber, Dali Dutta Bhatta, Khimananda Bhatta, Padamraj Bhatta, Haridatta Bhatta, Abi Dampha principal Pramannad Bhatta, the contractor who built the school building Khemraj Bhatta, and a local from Beas Rural Municipality-4, Narendra Bhatta, have been detained for investigation.

The deceased principal Dhami has mentioned in his status that he was systematically tried to be framed by making false allegations including rape and corruption. Dhami had been working as the principal of Sampal Mavi Sunsera since 2077. His body was cremated on Tuesday after a post-mortem at the District Hospital Darchula.

‘Pen Down’ program announced in schools

The educational sector of Darchula has been agitated over the death of Baldev Singh Dhami, the principal of Sampal Secondary School, Sunsera. The Principals’ Association Nepal Darchula and the Private and Residential Schools Organization Nepal (PABSON) Darchula have submitted separate memorandums to the Chief District Officer demanding an impartial investigation into the incident and action against the culprits.

The association has demanded a high-level, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident.

The Principals’ Association Nepal Darchula has announced to conduct a ‘Pen Down’ program by stopping all educational activities in all nine local levels of the district. It has also warned of launching a strong protest if the administration does not take the incident seriously.

PABSON Darchula has also expressed solidarity with the ‘Pen Down’ program by stopping teaching and learning in private and residential schools across the district on Jestha 6.

Public holiday in Beas Rural Municipality

A mourning holiday has been declared in Beas Rural Municipality on Tuesday following the death of the principal of Sampal Secondary School in Sunsera, Beas Rural Municipality-4. Chief Administrative Officer Krishnananda Badu informed that a one-day mourning holiday has been declared across Beas Rural Municipality today in mourning the death of Principal Baldev Singh Dhami, who was found dead in the school on Monday morning.