Birgunj, March 29

Police today made public a couple held in connection with the death of their daughter at District Police Office, Parsa. Those made public are Satya Narayan Barnawal and his wife Gita Kumari of Birgunj Metropolis-15. According to SP Ganesh Regmi, the couple had secretly cremated their daughter Neha Kumari, 16, at Ranighat about a month ago after she died of unknown reasons.

“Gita Kumari is the girl’s step mother. It has been learnt that she used to beat and torture her step-daughter every day. She died on February 25 of unknown reasons,” said Regmi, adding the couple had secretly cremated the body.

The incident came to light during police investigation. Even the villagers had been told that the girl had gone to her kin’s house in India. Neha’s mother had died in a cooking stove explosion years ago. Police said further investigation was under way.