Chandra Raut Barai, 35, a resident of Bathanaha VDC-7 in Saptari district, was arrested for allegedly having his 16-year-old daughter Rubi Raut Barai killed. [break]
Chandra allegedly hired a group of contract killers to murder Rubi as she was in love with a local boy from a different caste, police said. "Our preliminary investigation has revealed that Chandra hired a group of three contract killers to kill Rubi," said SP Sanjaya Singh Basnet, the chief of District Police Office, Saptari. "He paid Rs 10,000 to have the daugther killed."
According to SP Basnet, the police have also arrested Mohan Sah, one of the three contract killers hired by Chandra. The two other contract killers are at large. While Mohan was the main perpetrator, the other two supported him to execute the murder plan, police claimed.
Chandra had sent Rubi, who was living at her aunt´s house, home along with Mohan on May 21, according to the police. The police have concluded that Mohan, with the help of his two friends, killed Rubi on the way and dumped her body at a deserted place in Koiladi VDC-9.
Earlier, Rubi had eloped with Arun Kumar Sah, 16, who lives in the same village. Rubi and Arun´s families had struck a deal to separate them. "Rubi´s affair with Arun seems to be the main cause of her killing," said SP Basnet, adding, "However, the aftereffects of Rubi´s elopement with Arun and the deal between the two families also must have driven Chandra to have the daugther killed."
According to police, Rubi had eloped with Arun on March 16. Two weeks later, the families of Rubi and Arun, in the presence of the local elderly people, had struck a deal. According to the deal, the boy´s family paid Rs 50,000 to the girl´s family for Arun´s ´crime of persuading Rubi to elope with him´. But, the deal had a provision, as per which the girl´s family would have to pay Rs 100,000 to the boy´s family if ´Rubi again met Arun´.
Arun and Rubi were living in Darbhanga of India. While Arun was brought home after the deal, Rubi was taken to her aunt´s house in Madhubani, India. Chandra frequently visited Madhubani to persuade Rubi to end her relationship with Arun. But, Rubi insisted that she would marry none other than Arun.
According to police, Chandra decided to get rid of Rubi fearing social embarrassment or the fine of Rs 100,000 that he would have to pay if Rubi eloped with Arun again.
Rubi´s charred body was found on May 22. It took the police a week to ascertain that the body was Rubi´s.
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