Sujan Tamang, a 19-year-old Nepali student wanted in connection with a rape case at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, has surrendered to the police in New York. The St. Cloud Police Department confirmed to NepYork that Tamang turned himself in to the New York City Police Department. He will be held in New York pending extradition to Stearns County, according to the St. Cloud Police Department.
Meanwhile, another suspect, 20-year-old Nepali student Dipak Phayal, has already been arrested in California. He was taken into custody by the Fremont Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit on Thursday in Fremont, California. Authorities plan to extradite him to Minnesota. Phayal was arrested in connection with a rape incident that occurred on November 1 on First Avenue South in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Police stated that he was taken into custody without further incident and is currently being held in California before his transfer to Stearns County, Minnesota.
According to Fremont Jail records, Phayal was arrested at 5:20 PM on Thursday and booked into jail at 8:35 PM. Before being transferred to Minnesota, he is being held at Santa Rita Jail. Jail records also indicate that after the Minnesota incident, Phayal transferred to a different college and was recently studying at San Francisco Bay University. Phayal is scheduled to be presented in court on Thursday morning. According to court records, he will appear at the East County Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.
Phayal is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 145 pounds. He is classified as Asian. Jail records show that he turned 20 in June of last year.
Phayal faces charges of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, as well as aiding and abetting first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Tamang is charged with two counts of first-degree aiding and abetting criminal sexual conduct and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Both suspects are accused of forcibly taking a female student from St. Cloud State University to her dorm room and sexually assaulting her. According to the complaint, the victim reported the assault to the police, leading public safety officers to identify Phayal and Tamang as suspects.
The complaint also states that a few hours after the rape, Phayal messaged the victim on Instagram, inquiring about her well-being. DNA samples collected during the victim’s medical examination matched both Phayal and Tamang.
St. Cloud State University in Minnesota has confirmed that both individuals involved are Nepali students. “Those two students were enrolled at SCSU in the fall but are not enrolled for the spring semester. They both were from Nepal,” a spokesperson of St. Cloud State University told NepYork.
At the time of the incident, they were studying at St. Cloud State University, where they had been enrolled from August until December. However, after the incident, it has been reported that Phayal left Minnesota and moved to California, where he enrolled at San Francisco Bay University.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
