Dhangadhi, September 28
Police say a man was beaten to death during a dispute at a rice weaning ceremony in Nigali, Churey Rural Municipality-1, Kailali, about a week ago, and his body was then taken to a cliff and thrown off to hide the incident.
A police officer at the Area Police Office, Malakheti, informed that a preliminary investigation shows that 52-year-old local Yagya Bahadur Bohara died after being beaten, and his body was dumped off a cliff to conceal the incident.
The incident took place on September 21. That day, Yagya Bahadur had gone to attend the rice weaning ceremony of the grandson of a relative, Dhan Bahadur Bohara, and afterwards went missing. During the search, his body was found at the bottom of a cliff in Tulikhet forest.
For the investigation, police have arrested eight people who had been drinking with him at the ceremony. Those arrested are Dhan Bahadur Bohara, the head of the household hosting the pasni, along with Man Bahadur Bohara, Govinda Bohara, Yagya Bahadur Bohara, Dilip Dhami, Ram Bahadur Bohara, Gambhir Bohara and Tilak Jethara.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s son, a murder case has been registered against all eight, and an investigation is under way, said DSP Hira Singh Mahara, chief of the Area Police Office, Malakheti.
According to police sources, a dispute broke out between Yagya Bahadur and Man Bahadur while they were drinking at the ceremony. The quarrel, which began the previous day over the abuse of a wife, turned into a physical assault, and Yagya Bahadur fell to the ground unconscious.
A video of the unconscious Yagya Bahadur after the beating has also surfaced. In it, one man is heard saying, “If he dies, I’ll go to jail,” and another replies, “You did wrong.”
Police involved in the investigation said Yagya Bahadur died from the beating that same night. They found that his body was then carried to the cliff and thrown off so that it would appear he had fallen.
Police sources said some of those arrested have told police that he died at the scene and that they dumped the body over the cliff out of fear of being caught.
Although the dispute and beating were initially between two people, police said they are investigating further whether others were involved in, or had planned, the disposal of the body.
DSP Mahara said that because the case is still under investigation, he could not comment on details at this stage. According to him, the incident is being investigated from various angles.
