JAJARKOT: The families of the victims of Chaurjahari incident have filed a First Incident Report (FIR) against 20 persons for their involvement in the killings of Dalit youth Nawaraj BK and his friends, in District Police Office, Jajarkot on Wednesday.

As per the FIR, Chaurjahari Municipality-8 chair Dambar Bahadur Malla, girl's parents -- Bir Bahadur Malla and Prakashi Malla -- neighbours Santosh Malla, Ramesh Malla, and Mohan Pun Magar among others, have been accused of murder, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kishor Kumar Shrestha at Jajarkot DPO.

Nawaraj, along with his 19 friends from Jajarkot, had left for Soti village in Chaurjahari Municipality to bring home the girl, with her consent.

Preliminary investigation suggests that a group of people led by the ward chair had attacked the group upon their arrival at the village leading to them losing their lives.

READ: 15 including ward chair arrested in connection with Dalit youth’s killing in Rukum

Three persons -- Nawaraj BK, Tikaram Sunar and Ganesh Budha -- have died in the incident. Three more, Lokendra Sunar, Govinda Shahi and Sandeep BK, are still missing while scores were injured.

Earlier, families of the three victims who were killed in Chaurjahari of Rukum west on Saturday had refused permission to authorities to conduct an autopsy on the bodies. They had demanded that the bodies will undergo post-mortem examinations only when the three other missing persons are found – dead or alive.

READ: Chaurjahari incident victims’ families refuse autopsy till missing are found, dead or alive

Similarly, rights activists, and kin of the victims had submitted a memorandum at the District Administration Office, Jajarkot demanding a truthful investigation of the case, compensation to the victims' families, free treatment of the injured and search of the missing.

Only after the assurance of Jajarkot Chief District Officer Janak Raj Pant to facilitate the process of addressing and fulfilling their demands to the relevant agencies, the families have agreed to receive the bodies.

Police had performed postmortem on Tikaram on Tuesday while postmortem on the other two victims will be done today, informed Panta.

Although police had arrested 15 persons in connection to the case, only 12 of them have been detained at the moment for investigation, informed Police Inspector Kavi Rokaya, investigative officer of the case. The investigation is still ongoing and it is not yet clear whether it was murder or caused due to stampede, Inspector Rokaya added.

Meanwhile, a team of scuba divers from Armed Police Force's Battalion in Shamshergunj have been deployed to search for the missing three after they failed to come in contact since they went missing in Bheri River, on Saturday. Five scuba divers have started the search operation in the river from Wednesday morning, informed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yagya Basnet, Chief of Jajarkot APF.