Birgunj, April 19

Parsa police today seized a body of a woman from local Sirsiya ghat while preparations were under way to cremate it.

A police team deployed from Parsa District Police Office confiscated the body of Anjudevi Tatwa Das, 28, from the crematorium suspecting foul play. When the police team reached the ghat, Das’s husband Pannalal and other relatives, who were at the crematorium, disappeared.

Parsa Superintendent of Police Rewati Dhakal said police team was deployed after they were tipped off by Pannalal’s neighbours. No sooner had police reached the ghat than Pannalal and his relatives fled the scene.

According to Pannalal’s neighbours, he and his family had beaten Anjudevi to death on Thursday night and taken the body in an ambulance to the ghat. “We cannot exactly say whether or not Das was beaten to death,” SP Dhakal said. He said the incident was mysterious as people at the ghat fled the scene and Das’s body had bruises all over. “Police have launched an investigation and started a manhunt to nab the absconding people,” he added.

The body has been kept at Birgunj-based Narayani Sub-regional Hospital for autopsy. “The cause of death will become known after autopsy,” he said.

Pannalal and Anju had got married eight years ago. They have two daughters and two sons. Pannalal used to thrash his wife on a daily basis, according to neighbours.