DHANUSHA, Jan 13: Dhanusha District Court on Sunday remanded four persons accused of murdering Om Prakash Mahato aka Dilip in judicial custody for five days.

The district court has granted permission to the police to further investigate their alleged involvement in murdering Dilip, a resident of Mithila Municipality-5, on Friday.

The 24-year-old Dilip was crushed to death by a tipper truck belonging to ‘crusher mafia’ for raising voice against illegal extraction of aggregate from a local river. Dilip had been campaigning against the illegal riverbed extraction from the Aaurahi River by crusher industries. 

On Friday, Dilip had reached the Aaurahi River to stop illegal extraction of aggregate and sand when then Bipin Mahato, owner of Churiya Mai Crusher Industry, allegedly stabbed him with a pointed iron lever and then crushed him by a tipper truck, police investigation has revealed.

According to Superintendent of Police Ramesh Basnet of Dhanusha Police, four including Bipin Mahato have admitted that they stabbed Dilip and then crushed him by a tipper. 

“Bipin Mahato has accepted that he murdered Dilip saying that the latter was trying to ruin their crusher business,” said Basnet, adding that the mastermind behind the murder was no other than Bipin Mahato, 27, crusher operator at Mithila Municipality-5. 

Police investigations have also found the involvement of Dilip’s friend Roshan Kumar Yadav, who had accompanied him during morning walk, in the murder. 

Basnet further added that a murder case has been filed against Bipin Mahato, truck driver Munindra Mahato, 37, a resident of Bardibas Municipality-9; driver Jitendra Mahato, 24, a resident of Bardibas-2, and Roshan Kumar Yadav, 27, a resident of Mithila Municipality-5.

Earlier, the case was handled by the Area Police Office, Dhalkebar. But on Saturday, DIG Pradhumna Karki, police chief of Province 2, directed the District Police Office, Janakupur, to handle the case.

“A detailed investigation will be carried into the case. The court has remanded the accused in judicial custody for five days for investigation into the case. The culprits will face legal actions,” said DIG Pradhumna Karki.

The kin of the deceased had filed a case of murder at the District Police Office, Dhanusha against the accused.

Meanwhile, the victim’s family has also demanded investigation against Inspector Ram Kumar Yadav of Area Police Office, Dhalkebar as he didn’t prepare a field report before removing the dead body from the incident site.

Laxmi Mahato,  sister of the deceased, has claimed that Inspector Yadav colluded with the crusher operators to hide evidences from the crime scene.

 
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