RAUTAHAT: Police in Rautahat district reportedly arrested a person for killing his neighbour in Katahariya Municipality-1, on Monday night.

The arrested has been identified as 35-year-old Birendra Mahato Nuniya and the deceased has been identified as Shiva Mangal Mahato Nuniya (40), both residents of Chhedichok in the rural municipality.

According to the District Police Office (DPO), Rautahat, Birendra was lurking in a bamboo wood to exact vengeance on his neighbour Shiva Mangal, who was returning home late after working in his farm. Subsequently, he attacked Shiva Mangal on his head with an axe from behind, killing him on the spot at around 9:00 pm yesterday.

When Shiva Mangal did not return home, his family members searched for him and found his body with deep wounds in the head, police informed.

The incident site is at a distance of 500 metres from his home. The neighbours informed police about the incident after they saw Birendra fleeing the incident site, police said.

A joint team of security personnel deployed from the Garuda-based Area Police Office (APO) and the Katahariya-based APO, under the command of Superintendent of Police (SP) Yagya Binod Pokharel, reached the incident site, rounded up the alleged culprit and carried out the investigation.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been kept at Rautahat District Hospital, Gaur and would be handed over to his family members for cremation, after the post mortem, said police.

SP Pokharel said, the preliminary investigation points to their existing rivalry as the motive for the murder.