Kathmandu- Police have clarified that no candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was present in the vehicle involved in the fatal road accident in Rautahat that killed a four-year-old girl. The driver of the vehicle has been arrested and is being investigated on charges of vehicular homicide.
The incident occurred at around 2 pm on Thursday at Mathiya Tole, Ishanath Municipality–3, Rautahat. According to police, a car with registration number Ba 15 Cha 4244 hit four-year-old Alpha Khatun while she was attempting to cross the road near a small roundabout. CCTV footage of the incident shows the vehicle striking the child and briefly stopping before moving forward, after which locals rushed to rescue her.
DSP Bishnu Pradeep Basyal, spokesperson of the Rautahat District Police Office, said the injured child was taken to the hospital in the same vehicle that hit her. “After the collision, the girl’s mother and relatives were seen sitting in the same car and taking her to the hospital,” DSP Basyal said.
The child was first taken to City Hospital, Gaur, and later referred to the Provincial Hospital, Gaur, after doctors assessed her condition as critical. The driver reportedly fled from the hospital premises, and the child was later declared dead by doctors.
During the investigation, police found that the vehicle bore stickers of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and had a bamboo stick attached to the front number plate, suspected to have been used for holding a party flag. Police concluded that the car was being used for election campaigning at the time of the incident.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was deployed for the door-to-door election campaign of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate Sheikh Sagir from Rautahat Constituency No. 2. However, police confirmed that candidate Sagir was not inside the vehicle when the accident occurred.
“It is confirmed that the car was being used for election campaigning, but candidate Sagir was not present in the vehicle at the time of the incident,” DSP Basyal said, adding that Sagir was engaged in campaign activities elsewhere.
Police arrested the driver, 27-year-old Sheikh Mustakh of Paroha Municipality–3, Rautahat, on Thursday and initiated a vehicular homicide investigation. The driver was produced before the Rautahat District Court on Friday through the District Public Prosecutor’s Office, which granted a five-day remand for further investigation. Police said the driver holds a valid driving licence.
The vehicle involved in the accident is registered in the name of candidate Sheikh Sagir. Police stated that although the car is owned by Sagir, it was being driven by Mustakh at the time of the incident.
Following the incident, the Rastriya Swatantra Party issued a statement expressing sorrow over the death of the child and committing to support the investigation. “The party is deeply shocked and saddened by the untimely death of a four-year-old girl in Rautahat. We are fully committed to cooperating with the local administration for an objective investigation,” the statement said.
Similarly, RSS General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti stated that the party would ensure full cooperation in the legal process and work to secure justice for the victim’s family, including providing necessary relief and support.
Police said further investigation is ongoing and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings.
