On the afternoon of January 30, 3 PM, 45-year-old Prem Nath Yadav of Siraha Municipality–1 was shot and killed on the spot.
The incident occurred while Yadav was ploughing his own field with a tractor near the bank of the Mainabatti Khola in Siraha Municipality–7. According to Siraha police spokesperson DSP Ramesh Bahadur Pal, Yadav was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the back.
DSP Pal said that no one has been arrested so far in connection with the shooting, and both the motive and the identity of the perpetrator remain unknown.
The local community is reportedly terrified.
“We were informed of the incident only about an hour and a half after it happened. Even locals working about 100 meters from the field have refused to comment. Whether they are scared or there are other reasons is unclear,” DSP Pal says. “This is posing some challenges for the investigation, but efforts to identify the culprits are ongoing.”
Concerns have also been raised about whether the incident could affect the upcoming House of Representatives election. However, DSP Pal argued that since the victim was not affiliated with any political party, the shooting is unlikely to create a climate of fear around the elections.
Just hours before this incident, the body of 73-year-old Rasodevi Yadav of Gaushala Municipality–1, Mahottari, was found in a nearby sugarcane field. She had gone missing from her home on the night of January 28 while sleeping. Her body was discovered during a search by family and locals in the sugarcane field in front of her house.
Although the condition of the body and the scene appeared suspicious, Mahottari police spokesperson DSP Shailendra Bhatt said nothing can be confirmed until the post-mortem report is released.
“No concrete evidence has been found at the scene. The family informed us that she used to go for a morning walk. More details will emerge after the post-mortem report,” he says.
Similarly, at around 2 AM on January 28, a group entered the house of Jagrook Mandal in Rahariyadih, Parwanipur Rural Municipality–1, Bara, and indiscriminately attacked with weapons. In this attack, Mandal’s mother and son were killed on the spot, while three others, including Mandal, were injured.
The victims were 46-year-old Sumitra Devi, Jagrook Mandal’s wife, and 31-year-old Ramishwar Mandal, their son. Mandal, his 21-year-old daughter Rina Kumari, and 23-year-old daughter-in-law Manita were injured, with police reporting Manita sustained minor injuries.
Following the incident, police arrested Manita and another individual and began an investigation. Manita is Ramishwar’s wife. Alongside her, 27-year-old Dharmendra Mahto Dhanuk from Prasauti Rural Municipality–7, Bara, was also arrested. He was apprehended while attempting to cross into India from Vishrampur Rural Municipality–4, Bara.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the crime occurred due to an extramarital affair between Manita and Dharmendra.
“So far, the investigation shows the involvement of Manita and Ramishwar only. No others have been implicated yet. Further investigations are ongoing,” informs Bara Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Kunwar.
Police noted that although Manita and Ramishwar were husband and wife, their relationship had been strained with repeated conflicts. Dharmendra, who had been working abroad in the UAE, returned to Nepal on January 26, after which the incident occurred.
The arrested individuals are being investigated under charges of culpable homicide, with the Bara District Court granting an extension for further inquiry.
During the election period, these three incidents, occurring in a span of 48 hours, have created an environment of fear in Madhesh. However, Madhesh Province Police spokesperson SSP Kamal Thapa said that as these crimes stem from family and personal disputes, they should not be linked to politics or the elections.
“These incidents are not political. Their nature is entirely different. If they were politically motivated, it would be a different matter,” he says to Onlinekhabar.
56 murders in six months
In the first six months of the current fiscal year, Madhesh Province has witnessed 56 murders.
According to statistics provided by the Madhesh Province Police Office, Janakpur, 56 people were killed across eight districts in fiscal year 2026/026. Among the victims, 26 were men, 18 were women, 9 were boys, and 3 were girls.
By district, the highest number of murders occurred in Saptari, with 13 killings: 5 men, 6 women, and one boy and one girl each.
During the same period, 9 people were killed each in Dhanusha and Siraha. In Dhanusha, 4 women, 2 men, 2 boys, and 1 girl were killed, while in Siraha, 4 men, 3 women, and one boy and girl each lost their lives.
In Rautahat, 8 people were killed (4 men, 2 women, 2 boys), and in Parsa, 6 people (3 men, 2 women, 1 boy). Mahottari and Sarlahi each recorded 4 killings. In Mahottari, 3 men and 1 woman were killed, while in Sarlahi, 4 men were killed. Bara recorded the fewest murders during this period, with 3 victims: 1 man and 2 boys.
Police officials say these incidents are caused by family disputes, personal grudges, social media conflicts, and drug use.
In the previous fiscal year 2024/025, Madhesh recorded 99 murders: 53 men, 36 women, 5 boys, and 6 girls. In 2023/024, 127 people were killed, while in 2022/023, there were 109 murders in the province.
