Maniram Kharal, Chief Administrative Officer of Banke-based Khajura Rural Municipality, and Pradip Sunar, Accounts Officer are accused of sexually assaulting their female employee on December 17 while they were going to Tikapur in Kailali for a picnic. The victim was pressured to not lodge the complaint against the sexual assault. Meanwhile, some youths picketed the administrative office and even physically assaulted both accused of sexually assaulting the girl. However, Kharal and Sunar threatened the youths to lodge complain of assault against them. But the incident ended in the reconciliation after both sides agreed to apologise, the accused apologized to the girl and the youths apologized to Kharal and Sunar.

Chief Administrative Officer Maniram Kharal said that the allegations against them were false and the incident is settled already. Ekmaya B.K., the vice-chairperson of Khajura village, said that the issue was resolved after the accused apologized to the victim. She further added that the victim was approached to lodge the complaint against the accused but she denied because she was under the threat not to lodged the complaint. According to the police, they cannot take any legal action against the accused since the victim has not lodged any written complaint. He further added that the accused was set free from police custody after 14 hours of arrest, because, the victim refused to lodge the complaint.