KATHMANDU: Police on Friday said they recently arrested a man who along with others had allegedly abducted a teenage girl with a motive to perform human sacrifice in August last year.

The 16-year-old girl, however, escaped from the clutches of her abductors, who were preparing to slaughter her as a part of black magic rituals which they believed would help them earn fortune miraculously, according to police.

The suspect is identified as 37-year-old Bhoj Bahadur Thapa, a permanent resident of Rumsigaun, Byas-6 of Tanahun. He was apprehended by a team deployed from the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police, from Lakeside, Pokhara of Kaski on Tuesday, September 6, police said.

Along with seven others  -- shaman Kanu Pahar aka Guru, Omkar Shah, Yam Bahadur Rooka, Chhatra Bahadur Rai, Hari Bahadur Pun Magar, Udeem Bahadur PU and Bhim Bahadur Bhujel -- Thapa had abducted the alleged victim from Sanobharyang, Swayambhu, and held her hostage at a house in Nagarjun on the outskirts of Kathmandu from August 1 to 17 last year.

But the victim had managed to run away and filed a complaint with police against them later.

Police had also found some artifacts of archaeological significance from the Nagarjun-based house.

Thapa would face a separate case for that, police said today.

Thapa was brought to Kathmandu from Pokhara. He was presented before the Kathmandu District Court today, the CIB said.

He has been remanded to judicial custody at the Jagannathdewal Prison.

Other suspects are already behind bars.

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