Police have arrested a person for allegedly raping a woman by taking advantage of her distress and vulnerability. Arjun Koirala, 27, of Tansen Municipality-11, Palpa, was arrested from Mitaranagar yesterday based on a complaint filed by the victim at Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajunj. Adhikari, who masqueraded as a medical doctor, targeted the woman attending to her ailing mother at the Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Bansbari. “He misled the woman identifying himself as a doctor and claiming that he had a good rapport with the hospital administration. He assured the victim of extending all kinds of support for her mother’s treatment,” a police official said. As Adhikari managed to take the woman into confidence cashing in on her distress, he proposed to take her to Samakhushi ‘for a meeting with his aunt’, but ended up at Mitranagar-based Hotel Gorkha Fulbari Guest House on March 20. According to the victim, Adhikari, who also introduced himself to her with different name ‘Santosh Ghale’, repeatedly raped her in a room on the third floor of the guest house, threatening her of serious consequences if she reported the incident to police. “Koirala has admitted to raping her,” the official said. Kathmandu District Court has remanded the rape suspect to five-day judicial custody for further investigation into the case. Koirala, a former Nepali Army soldier, is said to be a repeat rapist and was dismissed from the service for his involvement in a rape case. Incidents of rape are increasing at an alarming rate in recent times. As many as 112 cases of rape were reported in the past eight months (mid-July to mid-March) of the running fiscal in Kathmandu Valley as compared to 83 during the corresponding period last fiscal. Police attribute the increase in reported rape cases to more women coming forward due to greater public awareness, but say that many more cases go unreported, as victims are often too scared to come forward to lodge complaints of rape due to the fear of retribution and social stigma. महानगरीय प्रहरी वृत्त महाराजगन्जमा ६ चैतमा आइपुगेकी एक युवतीको बयान सुनेर प्रहरी चकित पर्‍यो । ती युवतीले आफूलाई एक जना डाक्टरले झुक्याएर मित्रनगरको एक गेस्टहाउस पुर्‍याई बलात्कार गरेको जाहेरी दिइन् । जाहेरीपछि प्रहरीले घटनाको दिनको सीसीटीभी फुटेजका आधारमा बलात्कारमा संलग्न युवकको खोजी सुरु गर्‍यो । पक्राउ परेका युवक डाक्टर नरहेको, परिचय बदलेर घिनलाग्दो कर्तुत गरेको खुल्दा अनुसन्धानमा संलग्न प्रहरी नै जिल्ल परे । बाँसबारीमा रहेको गंगालाल अस्पतालमा आमाको उपचार गराउने क्रममा भेट भएका एक युवकले आफूलाई डाक्टर सन्तोष घलेको नामले चिनाएका थिए । ती युवकले सामान्य चिनाजानीकै आधारमा आफ्नो अस्पतालका डाक्टरसँग राम्रो चिनजान रहेको र उपचारमा सहयोग गर्ने भन्दै युवतीसँग निकटता बढाए । पीडित युवतीका अनुसार युवकले सामाखुसीमा आफ्नो सानीआमासँग भेट गर्न जाने भन्दै युवतीलाई मोटरसाइकलमा राखेर मित्रनगरको गोरखा फूलबारी गेस्टहाउस पुर्‍याए । युवतीले आफूलाई कोठाभित्र थुनेर चुकुल लगाई डरत्रास देखाएर पटकपटक जबरजस्ती करणी गरेको बयान दिएकी छन् । प्रहरीले सीसीटीभी फुटेजका आधारमा गाेंगबुबाट गत सोमबार सन्तोष भन्ने युवकलाई पक्राउ गरेपछि पो प्रहरीले थाहा पायो, उनी न डाक्टर रहेछन्, न उनको नाम नै सन्तोष रहेछ । महाराजगन्ज वृत्तका डीएसपी योगेन्द्र थापाका अनुसार उनी पाल्पा, तानसेन ११ स्थायी घर भई काठमाडौं महानगरपालिका २६ बस्ने अर्जुन कोइराला रहेछन् । डीएसपी थापाले बलात्कारकै उद्देश्यले प्रेरित भएर ती युवक आफ्नो परिचय ढाँटेर युवतीसँग नजिकिएको बताए । प्रहरीका अनुसार कुनै समय नेपाली सेनाको जवान रहेका कोइराला बलात्कारमा संलग्न भएकै कारण बर्खास्तगीमा परेका थिए । महाराजगन्ज वृत्तले थप अनुसन्धान गर्न उनलाई काठमाडांैं जिल्ला अदालतबाट ५ दिनको म्याद थप गरिसकेको छ ।