Dhangadi, May 24

Police in Kailali are close to cracking the mystery surrounding the murder of a couple in Dhangadi a few days ago.

Seventy-two-year-old Badri Prasad Joshi and his wife Kuntadevi, 65, of Chhatrabas Tole Dhangadi Sub-metropolis, were murdered inside their home on Sunday night.

Following the incident, a team along with a sniffer dog from the mid-western regional Police Training Centre of Nepalgunj had reached Dhangadi for investigation.

According to SP Arjun Chand of District Police Office, Kailali, the team with sniffer dog arrived in Dhangadi yesterday and started investigation. Besides, a seven-member committee formed under the leadership of DSP Dilipsingh Bhandari is carrying out its investigation separately.

“Police are investigating the incident by forming separate teams and by employing modern technology, including trained dog,” said SP Chanda. Preliminary investigation report of the police shows that the culprits were a Bajhang-based family.

Two weeks ago, Kalak Bahadur Batala of Thalara in Bajhang, his daughter-in-law Puja, her mother Laxmi Oli and her uncle Naresh Bhandari had approached the Joshi couple seeking an apartment on rent.

Police, citing their investigation, said Naresh and Laxmi had killed Badri Prasad in his room while his wife had gone to collect flowers for prayer on Sunday evening. Kunta was killed when she got back. The investigation also shows that the couple was indiscriminately attacked with sharp weapons as the bodies were beyond recognition.

Police have identified Laxmi and Naresh as the masterminds behind the murder. Both of them are at large. Police, however, have arrested the daughter-in-law, who in her statement confessed that the murder was perpetrated in front of her eyes.

“As the incident is under investigation, we can’t reveal everything right away,” said DSP Bir Bahadur Budhamagar.

Police suspect that the murder could have been committed with the motive of capturing the house and property of the elderly couple. After murdering the couple, the Batala family had invited over their kin and thrown a feast in the night itself.

Police suspect that Laxmi and her brother Naresh fled to India via Phulbari on a scooter after the incident. While Laxmi works in India, Naresh runs a hotel in Dhangadi.

Police, however, are also keeping a tab on the activities of the slain couple’s close relatives.

Meanwhile, the murdered couple’s kin have sought stern punishment against the murderers, terming the incident premeditated and heinous. They agreed to receive the bodies today from Seti Zonal Hospital following the administration’s pledge to take action against all those involved in the murder.

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