The Kathmandu District Court on Monday granted the Metropolitan Crime Division permission to extend custody of Manoj Pandey by seven more days for investigation.

Pandey, the owner of Model Global Visas Consultancy, who is accused of raping a former beauty pageant participant in 2014, was arrested on May 21 by Metropolitan Crime Division from Swayambhu area.

“The district court has allowed the police to keep Pandey in custody for seven more days starting from May 26,” said Superintendent Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range. “The investigation into the case is underway.”

According to the official at the department, witnesses including Malvika Subba had reached out to the police to record their statements.

On May 18, the survivor had shared video clips explaining how Pandey, the organizer of a pageant called Miss Global International 2014, had drugged and raped her in a hotel room.

In the clips, the victim also shared that she was abused by Pandey for six months.

The videos had taken the country by storm, with people spontaneously taking to the streets to demand justice for her. Protesters had also demanded setting up fast-track courts and scrapping the statute of limitations on rape cases.

“We have also received another complaint against Pandey from a minor. We are also investigating the case under Child Sexual Abuse,” said Mainali.