Gairigaun murder case: Suspect Dipendra Rai released from custody

KATHMANDU, Sep 17: The police have released Dipendra Rai from custody in the Gairigaun murder case. Valley Crime Investigation Office Senior Superintendent of Police, Somendra Singh Rathore, informed that Rai was released he was found to have no involvement in the murder.

Sanjay Bhandari, who was also arrested in the Gairigaun murder case, has admitted to killing four people. The police had arrested Bhandari with the help of CCTV footage after he ran away from the incident with a khukuri.

It has been revealed that Bhandari killed the victim Navin Rai to take revenge against him. According to the police, Navin Rai had hit Sanjay Bhattarai with a motorcycle in Chabahil a while ago. This led to a dispute between them and Bhandari murdered Navin after finding the place where he was staying.

SSP Rathore informed that although he only had enmity with Navi, he killed the other three people to stop them from revealing the truth.

Bhandari, who cannot speak, was interrogated with the help of a language expert. According to the police, he confessed to "murdering four people" during the interrogation.

Four people were murdered in Gairigaun on Friday with the use of sharp weapons at Dibya Sawmill in Tinkune. Three of the four victims were found to be from the same family.

The victims are Kumar Bhujel, 56, of Dolakha who was working as a gatekeeper in the sawmill, his wife Ambika Bhujel, 52, Kumar's mother, Shubhadra Bhujel,76, and Nabin Rai, age 20, originally from Belbari in Morang.

Their bodies were found in the sawmill with injuries from sharp weapons on different parts of their bodies including their head. An investigation committee was formed to conduct an investigation into the case.