KANCHANPUR: A relative of Ranjula Saud who has recently died at Bedkot Municipality-7 in the district has filed a police case against seven people accused of their hand in her death.

Padam Saud, brother-in-law of the deceased registered the case, with the district police office, against Dharmananda Bhatta of Bhimdatta Municipality-7, Narayandatta Bhatta of the municipality-1 and other locals, Kuber Singh Saud, Gauri Saud, Kamala Saud, Janaki Ghadal and Chakra Saud, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Chakra Bahadur Shah. Following this, investigations into the case have moved forward, he said.

Family and relatives of the deceased have declined to receive her body stating they would not receive her body until their demand for fair investigations into the case and action against the guilty was addressed. Her body has been kept at Mahakali Hospital.

On 11 April, Ranjula reached the house of her neighbor Kamala complaining of having a headache. Then Kamala took her to local witch doctors—Dharmananda and Narayandatta—for her treatment. On April 14, in the name of curing her headache, the witchdoctors chanted mantras and beat her up claiming that an evil spirit of Tharu overpowered her, which relatives of the deceased claimed resulted in her death.