Kyamin, April 27

After a mother-son duo were found dead in their house in Kyamin of Tanahun yesterday, the kin of the deceased today picketed the District Police Office suspecting the incident as murder and demanding fair investigation.

Rita Thapa, 24, and her five-year-old son Misan were found hanging from the ceiling of Thapa’s house in Kyamin-2, Majhfant yesterday.

Today, more than 300 people, including the kin of the deceased from Mirlung-6, left for the district police office in a reserved bus and picketed the office demanding early and fair probe into the incident.

They have accused Rita’s in-laws of murdering her and Misan, and sought stern action against the guilty. “The incident seems to be a murder as far as the nature of the incident is concerned.

Hence, there should be fair investigation so that the guilty are brought to book,” said Rita’s aunt Sushila Majhi, adding, “Rita’s in-laws were in a haste to remove the bodies with the help of police without even bothering to inform us.

Such behaviour has added to our suspicion.”

Rita’s in-laws, however, denied the charge and denied they had a hand in the incident. On his part, SP Krishna Kumar Mahat said investigation into the incident was under way.

He added that Rita’s husband Man Bahadur Thapa was under police surveillance. Man Bahadur is a head constable at the Nepali Army Arjunban Battalion, Morang.

“The incident occurred at a time when Man Bahadur had come home from Morang,” said Rita’s brother Kishor Pande.

He cited Rita’s neighbours as saying that Man Bahadur used to mete out physical torture to Rita. The kin of the deceased said they wouldn’t receive the bodies until the truth behind the incident was revealed.

The agitating kin have also formed a struggle committee to pile pressure on police for an early and fair investigation. “We will have no option but to resort to agitation if they fail to investigate the incident and punish the guilty,” said Bal Bahadur Pande, coordinator of the struggle committee.