Photo credit: Himalayan News Service

Eight days after the horrendous murder of an elderly woman at Dugar Marg in Naxal, investigators at the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) has finally succeeded in cracking the mystery surrounding the crime by nabbing two culprits.

Those arrested have been identified as Junita Thapa aka Jenisa (22) of Thapagaun, Gagalphedi-2 and Kalpana Giri (34) of Nayabasti, Jorpati3, Kathmandu. A probe team led by SP Pradhyumna Kumar Karki had launched an all-out investigation into the case after Banu Devi Rana (69), a single woman, went missing since November 11.The elderly was found dead in her bedroom the next day.

Citing police investigation, SSP Devendra Subedi, MPCD in-charge said the duo entered Rana’s house on November 11 at around 8.00 pm while she was watching television and repeatedly hit the woman in the head and body parts with a baseball bat before suffocating her to death with a pillow. “It was a premeditated and wellplanned murder. Their motive behind killing Rana clearly appears to be robbing her of cash and valuables,” Subedi said, adding that the women duo have confessed to killing Rana.

Thapa, the brain behind the murder-for-robbery, and Karki, one of her associates had decamped with cash and jewelleries by locking up deceased Rana in the room.

MPCD has recovered Rs 48,417, USD 325, INR 30, two wrist watches, a gold bracelet, precious stone-studded five finger rings, a necklace and voter ID of Rana among other goods from their possession. Rana’s close relatives have identified the robbed goods as hers.

Three other suspects of the incident are still at large. Interestingly Thapa, who is also a distant relative of the victim, had an easy access to Rana’s house and used to cash in on this opportunity to take the stock of the victim’s property during the frequent meets.

“Thapa’s greed to make a fast buck overnight prompted her to hatch a ploy and kill the elderly with the help of others. Probably, it is the first time that women masterminded the murder in city,“ SSP Subedi said. They have been charged with murder.

Source: Himalayan News Service, November 19, 2012