DHANGADI, JUNE 11
Gaumati's father had left her seven years ago. Ever since, her mother Anibha had taken it upon herself to raise her three children, including Gaumati herself.
On Wednesday night, Gaumati, was at home in Ward No 1 of Shailyashikhar Municipality, Darchula, when she was awakened by a voice calling her mother from outside in the middle of the night. Her mother went out a little while later. Gaumati was waiting for her mother to return, but as she didn't. The girl rang up her mother, but the phone was switched off.
Finally, a bit worried, Gaumati went out herself. As it turned out, someone from her village, who went by the same surname as hers and whom she called uncle, had called out her mother and taken her to the garden and murdered her there with a boulder.
Investigation showed he had murdered her over a dispute that arose when he made rape attempts on Gaumati's mother.
Gaumati, that night, had only seen the man heading home.
According to DSP Pratik Bista of Darchula District Police Office, the man identified as Bhojraj Khadayat had returned to the incident site some time later fearing his crime would be exposed.
"He covered the body with straw and set it on fire, before fleeing the scene," said the police officer.
Police also informed that there had been an attempt to murder the daughter too after the mother was killed. "As it emerged, he had also tried to burn the daughter in the same fire, but the girl had managed to escape and save herself," said Ward No 1 Chair of Shailyashikhar Bharat Bahadur Khadayat.
According to him, the girl had escaped and taken shelter in her neighbour's house.
Police made public the perpetrator yesterday and said they had also seized a gold bracelet and a gold nose ring that were used by the victim.
He is said to have been held from Ward No 3 of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality, Baitadi. Police had found Anibha's burnt body from among ashes in a sugarcane field some 50 metres away from her home. Police said further investigation was under way.
Bhojraj Khadayat - the murderer - is learnt to be a security guard working at Chameliya Hydropower Project of Balach.
Bhojraj has pleaded guilty, saying he had carried out the murder all by himself. Police, however, have also taken into custody his neighbours Birendra Khadayat and Tula Khadayat for investigation.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 12, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
