Biratnagar, October 23

It has come to light that the murder of Pahadchanda Rajbanshi in Rangeli Municipality-9 of Morang two years ago was carried out by a teenager seeking to ‘avenge’ his father’s death.

Pahadchanda, who was known as a traditional shaman in the locality, had been murdered on the evening of 25 June 2017.

Held two years after the murder, 19-year-old Bharatlal Rajbanshi of Rangeli-9, while recording his statement with the police, said he killed Pahadchanda as the latter had killed his father with his witchcraft.

Having fled from the village after committing the crime, the teenager was arrested yesterday from his home. Police made him public amidst a press conference at the District Police Office today.

“Pahadchanda performed as a traditional shaman, but later the villagers started accusing him of being a wizard and using black magic to harm people, so when somebody died in the village he would be blamed. This was why Bharatlal, who was 17 then and thought the ‘wizard’ had killed his father, once stalked him in his village and axed him to death,” said police.

Earlier, about seven years ago, the locals, who considered Pahadchanda a wizard, had beaten him black and blue and force-fed him human excreta.

As the abuse came to light, police arrested nine persons including two women and filed a case against them. The arrested included Bharatlal’s father as well.

While the court had then released the women on normal date, the males were released on a bail of Rs 2,000 each.

“As his father died barely a few days after he came out of custody, the young man saw black magic used on his father by the shaman as cause of death, so he resolved to take revenge, hence the murder,” said inspector Lekhnath Dahal of Rangeli Area Police Office.

According to Dahal, Pahadchanda was murdered about one month after Bharatlal’s father Hari Rajbanshi died. Further, he informed that police have initiated action against Bharatlal under a murder case.