Rajbiraj, July 31

After investigation into the mysterious murder of a family in Musaharniya of Rajbiraj Municipality, Saptari, more than a month ago, police claimed that immediate family members were involved in the crime.

Ever since the murder of thirty-five-year-old Suraj Sah, his wife Bechanidevi, 30, and four-year-old daughter Pratibha at their home in Rajbiraj Municipality, police had been investigating the case by keeping Suraj’s brother Panchadev and sister-in-law Pramiladevi in detention on suspicion of their involvement.

As per the findings, Panchadev and Pramiladevi, along with Dharmendra Sah, Jibachha Sah and Satya Narayan Sah of the same ward were involved in the murder. They are said to have admitted to the crime and they were made public at a press conference at the District Police Office today.

According to SP Mukesh Kumar Singh, the murder was executed by Panchadev and Pramiladevi and the other three helped the couple hide the bodies.

Police, acting on locals’ complaint of a putrid smell from her home, had recovered Bechanidevi’s body from the septic tank of her home two days after the murder on June 12. There was no knowledge about the remaining two bodies until lately when police started searching for the bodies in Khando River acting on information given by the accused.

“We’ve been searching in the river for the past two days after the murder accused said they had dumped the bodies in the river, which was some two kilometres away from the home,” said SP Singh. “We’ve employed divers and used necessary equipment for the search, but due to rise in the level of water in the river, we haven’t been able to find the bodies,” added the SP, who, citing the investigation, identified a domestic dispute over property as the cause behind the murder.

Earlier, following the murder, on June 16, Bechanidevi’s father Ram Kumar Sah of Chhinamasta Rural Municipality had filed an FIR with the police accusing Panchadev, Pramiladevi and their son Santosh of the murder.

“Acting on the FIR, we had started our investigation,” said the SP, adding, “Five persons involved in the murder are absconding and a search is under way.”

According to Singh, a murder case has been filed against the accused and further investigation is under way.