Elderly couple murdered, set on fire

Rajbiraj, February 26

The charred bodies of an elderly couple were found after their murder at Kharchuhiya of Khadak Municipality, Saptari, this morning.

Local Saburi Sah, 70, and his wife Bechani Devi Sah, 65, were murdered and set on fire inside their home, said Saptari District Police Office.

Preliminary police investigation showed the killers had murdered the elderly couple outside their home, draped their bodies with clothes and set them on fire inside the home as blood stains were found in the yard and inside their house, said SP Rajendra Bista. “Their bodies were found fully charred”, said SP Bista. How the couple was killed before their bodies were set on fire is not clear, police said.

Police have brought a sniffer dog from Eastern Regional Police Residential School Dharan and launched an investigation into the incident.

A dog and forensic experts have been deployed to investigate the incident. “The probe team along with the trained dog reached a pond two kilometres away from the incident site and stopped. The guilty will be booked soon,” said SP Bista.

Neighbours said they found the Sah couple charred when they reached the house. A milkman had reported to the locals when the couple’s door did not open and he saw smoke inside the house.

The Sah couple had been living at home alone. Their eldest son Satya Narayan lives at Gaighat with his family while younger son Tejulal lives in Dharan with his family. Satya Narayan is a construction entrepreneur while Tejulal is a medical doctor.

The Sah couple are well-to-do. Saburi ran a mill. He used to loan money to locals on interest as well. Their neighbour Saraswoti Chaudhary said that Saburi was friendly and did not have animosity with anyone in the village.