Nine persons including ward chairman of Chaurjahari municipality 8 of Western Rukum have been arrested for investigation of death of dalit youths who had gone to facilitate elopement of an upper-caste girl.
Nawaraj BK, 21, of Bheri municipality 4, Jajarkot had gone along with 18 others to elope with his 17-year-old girlfriend of Chaurjahari-8, Soti on Saturday. Six of them had dived into the Thuli Bheri river at the border of Jajarkot and Western Rukum to save their life after the locals including the girl's family thrashed them.
District police chief Thag Bahadur KC said ward chairman Dammar Bahadur Malla, the girl, her father Bir Bahadur Malla, mother Prakashi Malla, Dilli Malla. Santosh Malla, Tul Bahadur Malla, Man Bahadur Malla and Ramesh Malla have been arrested for investigation Monday evening.
DSP KC told Setopati that other persons with alleged involvement in the incident are also being searched.
The victims' families have claimed that ward chairman Malla, the girl's father and others chased their sons and murdered them. But nobody has filed a complaint identifying the murderers until Monday. The victims' families have also not allowed autopsy of the bodies taken to Jajarkot.
Bodies of three youths recovered, three still missing
So far, the bodies of Nawaraj BK, Tikaram Sunar of ward no. 1 of Chaurjahari municipality and Ganesh Budha of Bheri municipality-1 have been recovered. The body of BK was recovered Saturday night, Sunar Sunday morning and Budha Monday evening.
Sanju BK, Govinda Shahi, Lokendra Sunar and Gopal Budhathoki are still missing, DSP KC said.
Twelve persons including Sudip Khadka, Madan Shahi, Saroj Bhadel, Ashish BK of Bheri municipality who had accompanied BK were injured following the thrashing. DSP KC said they have all been discharged after treatment.
