Police came to know of the murder after they nabbed Dev Raj Adhikari, 20, of Kera Bari-6, Morang district. Three months ago, Bhupal, 54, was abducted from Hasposa, Sunsari and taken to Itahari-3, where he was later murdered in a jungle. Pragyan had promised to give his two accomplices a sum of 1.5 million rupees.[break]
Adhikari, who was nabbed on Friday noon from Itahari on a motorbike, was made public by police at a press conference on Saturday.
“I and my friend had agreed in negotiations on a sum of 1.5 million for the murder. However, we´ve not yet received the sum,” Adhikari said when made public. Although Adhikari admitted to the crime, he did not disclose the name his friend and the plotter of the murder. “I don´t remember the names of the other two. But if I see them, I´ll recognize them. I searched for the murder plotter many times but to no avail,” he said.
Police had used mobile calls to catch Adhikari. On the day of the murder, frequent calls took place between Pragyan´s mobile phone number 942060988 and the number 9842173533. Only after talking to nine people from Dharan to Jhapa did the police find the person on the other line, Binod Shrestha, sub-inspector, said. Nine people had used Adhikari´s number. At the end, the number was used by a youth in Adhikari´s own village. “That´s how we came to know it was him,” Shrestha said.
Bhupal, who was heading for Itahari from Dharan, was abducted around 8 p.m. on July 25 and murdered in the Charkoshe jungles. He was chased by motorcycle all the way from Dharan and made to stop at a lonely place. He was then held forcibly by the two and taken into the jungle, where he was later killed.
Related story
Lalita Niwas land grab scam: Politicians granted immunity as al...
