RAUTAHAT: One more person was killed in Rautahat last night. With this, the number of people murdered in the district since the third phase of local elections has reached three.

A Sawmill proprietor Birendra Saha (45) at Balchanpur Baredawa of Chandrapur Municipality-10, was found dead this morning with serious head injuries from attacks of a sharp-edged weapon.

The preliminary investigations showed that he was killed due to personal animosity, District Police Chief Superintendent of Police Yagya Binod Pokhrel said.

Police have taken some suspects  under control for investigations into the case.

Prior to this, Swayawa Akbar of Paroha Municipality and Ram Pukar Yadav of Katahariya Municipality were killed by unidentified groups. Akbar is the son of a Nepali Congress candidate (defeated) for a ward chair while Yadav was the cadre of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal.

Meanwhile, incidents of robbery and scuffle have relatively increased in Rautahat since the local level elections.

Property worth around Rs 150 thousands was stolen from a mobile phone repairing center based in Katariya Municipality-5 last night.

On Sunday, robbers barged into the Garuda Bazar-based Aayshman Traders and decamped with valuables worth Rs 1.4 million.

Likewise, two cases of motorcycle theft have been reported in Gaur and Garuda of late. Verbal disputes and clashes between cadres of political parties who won and lost the elections continue to take place in the district, police said.