National
Complaint filed against two in connection with suspicious deaths of teenage girls in Achham
Police say two detainees have confessed to the crime; CIB team to join investigation.Menuka Dhungana
A complaint has been filed against two individuals in connection with the suspicious deaths of 14-year-old Ishara Khadka and 15-year-old Saraswati Khadka of ward 8 of Dhakari Rural Municipality, Achham.
Police detained two individuals on Sunday night and three others, including an 11-year-old boy, on Monday afternoon for investigation. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishwari Prasad Bhandari, chief of the District Police Office, Achham, said a complaint has been filed against two of the detainees.
Lal Bahadur Bhandari, former chair of ward 8 and a relative of the deceased girls, said the complaint was filed on Tuesday as the two teenage boys were allegedly present at the incident site and had been in regular phone contact with Ishara for a year.
Locals discovered the bodies of Ishara and Saraswati on Friday and informed the police. The bodies were found 15 metres apart.
A teenage girl from Dhakari-8 told police she saw five people throwing stones at around 2 pm on Friday. Following her statement, a police team revisited the incident site on Tuesday.
DSP Bhandari said the questioning of suspects is ongoing. “The post-mortem report is yet to be received. We will provide an official update soon, incorporating statements from those under suspicion,” he said.
A team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is scheduled to arrive in Achham on Thursday for further investigation. Sudurpaschim Province Police Chief Deputy Inspector General Ganesh Chand and a specialist team reached Achham on Tuesday evening.
According to police officers involved in the investigation, the two individuals detained on Sunday have confessed to the murder and provided information about the involvement of others. “More arrests could be made as suspicions remain over additional involvement,” an officer said. “The statements of those in custody and the post-mortem report will reveal crucial details about how and why the crime was committed.”
The bodies were discovered last Friday afternoon in a forested area, around 15 metres apart. Bloodstains were reportedly found approximately 500 metres uphill from the site, adding to suspicions of foul play.
The deaths have deeply shaken the local community. Ishara and Saraswati—aunt and niece by relation—were students at Bidya Prabodhini Secondary School and had gone missing on Friday after heading to a forest near their winter farmland. Their goats returned home, but the girls did not. After hours of searching, locals discovered their bodies the next day.