SARLAHI, JANUARY 4
Police have taken one person into custody in connection with the brutal murder of a forest guard whose head was severed and remains missing in Sarlahi district, authorities said. Mahato's severed head was found on Sunday afternoon in nearby bushes close to the crime scene.
The victim has been identified as 47-year-old Ram Ishwar Mahato, a local resident working as a forest guard at the Sagar Nath Forest Development Project in Ishworpur Municipality–2, Raitarkhor. His headless body was discovered in bushes inside the project area.
According to the District Police Office, Sarlahi, Mahato had gone into the forest on Sunday morning after hearing the sound of trees being cut. When he failed to return home by afternoon, a search was launched, leading to the discovery of his mutilated body.
Police spokesperson and Information Officer Saroj Rai said specialist teams from Malangawa and other units were deployed to the crime scene, while trained sniffer dogs were also used to track the suspect. During the investigation, police detained an individual found wearing blood-stained clothes and suspected of being under the influence of intoxicants.
"For security reasons and to avoid affecting the investigation, the identity of the detained person has not been disclosed," Rai said, adding that the suspect would be made public once preliminary investigations are completed.
The search for Mahato's severed head had been ongoing since early morning, with teams comprising police personnel and local representatives continuing combing operations in and around the forest area.
Mahato's body has been kept at the Provincial Hospital in Malangawa for post-mortem examination. Police said further details will be shared as the investigation progresses.