KATHMANDU: A 22-year-old woman was found severely burned near a technical institute in Nepalgunj late Saturday night and later died during treatment.
The victim, identified as Srijana Budhamagar, was discovered around midnight near the Bheri Technical School in Nepalgunj-12, Koreanpur. Locals rescued her and rushed her to hospital, but doctors declared her dead early Sunday morning.
Earlier that day, Budhamagar had gone to the police after a dispute with her boyfriend Mohammad Arif Dhapali, who had allegedly assaulted her multiple times in the past.
Police detained Dhapali the same day and kept him in custody for several hours. However, after both parties agreed not to repeat the dispute, they were released following a reconciliation.
According to police, the couple had been living together for the past two years. Dhapali, originally from Kalyanpur Bara, and Budhamagar had been staying in a rented room in Nepalgunj-8, Ranitalau, with plans to marry in the future.
Budhamagar had a four-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. After her husband reportedly went out of contact following the birth of their child, she had been living independently.
Police said the body was found burned later the same night Dhapali was released from custody, raising suspicion. Authorities have detained Dhapali along with his mother and sister for investigation.
Following the incident, relatives of the deceased and rights activists staged protests outside the District Police Office Banke demanding justice.
Spokesperson of the police office, Dipak Patali, said investigations are ongoing to determine whether the fire was self-inflicted or caused by others.
“We received information from locals after a burned body was found. At that time the victim had not been identified,” Patali said, adding that she was taken to hospital with the help of locals and declared dead at around 1:20 am.
Police have also questioned members of Dhapali’s family after reports that they were unhappy with his relationship with Budhamagar.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Angur GC said Budhamagar had previously been detained in police custody in other cases, adding that no family members had come forward to claim responsibility for her at the time.
Police said a complaint has been filed by relatives of the deceased under homicide-related charges, and a post-mortem examination has been completed. However, the family has yet to take the body.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing and have urged the public not to draw conclusions until the probe is completed.
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