Phidim, April 4

It is learnt that the murder of Dinesh Regmi, a 29-year-old bullion trader based in Rabi bazaar of Panchthar, had to do with a loan that his friend had taken from him and defaulted on.

Regmi, a resident of Ilam, had gone missing on March 14. Police had recovered his body two days later from Raute forest, in Puyatappa-4 of the district.

Police arrested Min Bahadur Bishwokarma on March 31 after investigation showed his involvement in Regmi’s murder.

Bishwokarma, 28, of Lakhanpur VDC in Jhapa, used to operate a jewellery shop in Rabi Bazaar.

He was made public at a press conference organised at Panchthar District Police Office today. Police said Bishwokarma had managed to kill Regmi after he apparently failed to pay back Rs 5 million he had borrowed from the deceased to run the shop.

According to Panchthar police chief DSP Krishna Prasad Koirala, Bishwokarma had executed the murder with the help of two other accomplices. “He has accepted that he killed Regmi with the help of two others.

The search for the absconding duo is on. We can’t disclose their names in view of its negative impact on the ongoing investigation,” he said. “Bishwokarma had befriended Regmi when the former came to Rabi Bazaar from Jhapa for business.

Over the years, Bishwokarma had borrowed money from Dinesh many times,” said DSP Koirala.

Bishwokarma has confessed his crime. “One day, I convinced Regmi to go to Saptami bazaar with me to repair a Dish Home antenna.

He got ready and both of us set out from Rabi on his bike,” he said, adding, “When we were in Raute forest, I told him to stop, saying the person who had to get his antenna repaired was coming our way, but in fact there was no one coming.

My friends were hiding in the forest and we managed to kill him.”

“My friends struck him with a hammer. After he collapsed, we tied his legs and bashed him with the hammer and a sharp weapon before throwing his body in the forest,” he recounted.

According to DSP Koirala, murder charge will be pressed at the district court against all the three persons involved in the murder.