Two Nepali students studying in the United States have been arrested on rape charges. One was taken into custody by the police, while the other surrendered himself. The arrested students are 19-year-old Sujan Tamang and 20-year-old Dipak Phuyal.
Incident Details
Tamang and Phuyal, who were students at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, have been accused of sexually assaulting a female student. The alleged incident took place on November 1 in a dormitory room at the university, located on First Avenue South in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
After the incident, police questioned both students, but they denied involvement. However, they later fled. Minnesota police then issued a nationwide wanted notice to locate and arrest them.
Arrest and Court Proceedings
Fuyal was arrested in California last week by the Fremont Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit. The day after his arrest, Tamang surrendered to the New York Police Department.
Authorities filed charges against them on February 21 in the Eastern County Court of Minnesota. Their first court appearance is scheduled for March 5. Currently, Phuyal is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in California and will be transferred to Minnesota for legal proceedings.
Investigation Findings
According to St. Cloud Police, the victim reported the incident within a few days. However, by the time the police attempted to arrest Tamang and Phuyal, they had already left the university. Following this, an immediate wanted notice was issued.
Investigators also revealed that after the incident, Phuyal contacted the victim via Instagram to inquire about her condition. DNA samples collected from the victim reportedly matched both suspects.
Legal Charges
Fuyal has been charged with first and third-degree sexual misconduct, along with aiding in first-degree sexual assault. Meanwhile, Tamang faces charges for assisting in first-degree sexual assault and committing fourth-degree sexual misconduct.
Although both students were enrolled for the Fall semester, they did not register for the Spring semester. The legal case against them is ongoing.
