KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 8

A man was killed in an isolated place on the banks of the Hanumante River that borders Gatthaghar of Madhyapurthimi Municipality and Balkot of Suryabinayak Municipality.

Rajan Shrestha, 33, of Sirutar in Bhaktapur district, who also happened to be a CPN-UML member was assaulted with a heavy wooden log used for construction purposes in buildings, which took his life.

Shrestha, who worked in the transportation sector inside Tribhuvan International Airport, was lured by his own childhood friend and beaten to death, according to police.

Narhari Regmi, deputy superintendent of police, Metropolitan Police Circle, Thimi, said that Rajan's childhood friend Hemanta Shrestha owed him around Rs 2 lakh. As Hemanta hadn't returned the money even after a long time, Rajan had started pressing him to return his money.

"But, determined not to return the money, Hemanta seems to have devised a plan to kill him," Deputy Superintedent of Police Regmi told The Himalayan Times.

As per the plan, Hemanta asked Rajan to meet him at Gatthaghar, where he said he would return the money.

After Rajan arrived there they spent some time together.

Hemanta asked him to go to a place where his friend would give him the money. After leaving Gatthaghar, they went to an isolated place towards Balkot across the Hanumante River. There, a man named Prem BK, 30, of Morang district was hiding as per Hemanta's direction.

"As soon as they reached the site, Hemanta signalled to BK, who charged at Rajan with a heavy log of wood used in construction sites.

Most of the blows were struck on the head leading to Rajan's death," Duputy Superintendent of Police Regmi said.

A daily wage earner who used to live inside a small makeshift tent on the banks of the river saw the attack being carried out. He had screamed out loud to make them run away.

After the attackers ran away, local people started gathering there along with the police.

Upon reaching the site, police took Rajan to the nearby Madhyapur Hospital, where he was shortly pronounced dead. Police said that the accused Hemanta and BK had confessed to the crime.

Police are also investigating if other people are involved.

A version of this article appears in the print on December 09, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.