Man Bahadur could not have murdered all nine people alone, say Miklajung locals (With Photos)

Publish date : 23 May, 2019

While the preliminary investigations have suggested Man Bahadur Makhim could have hand in the horrific murder of nine members of two families, the locals claim he alone could not have committed the bloodbath. Man Bahadur was found hanging from a tree in Limba village, located a few kilometers away from the crime site next afternoon.

Dhan Raj Sherma, 41, his wife Jasmita Sherma, 36, daughters Yobana Sherma, 13 and Muna Sherma 8 and son Ikshya Sherma, 5; and Dhanraj’s father-in-law Bam Bahadur Phiyak, 75, his wife Farsimaya Phiyak , 71, youngest daughter Man Kumari Sherma, 31, and daughter-in-law Shreya Phiyak,13 were murdered in cold blood with a sharp weapon at Arubote village in Miklajung Rural Municipality-3 of Panchthar district on Monday night. Man Bahadur is the husband of Man Kumari.

Only Sita Khajum, 12, who was in Bam Bahadur’s house and witnessed the terrific slaughter, had managed to escape jumping from the first floor. She had then run toward a neighbor some 50 meters away.

According to her, a masked man broke into the house at around 10 pm and started butchering the family members who were fast asleep.

She said, though the murderer chased her, she had managed to escape somehow with a fractured hand. She is receiving treatment in Dharan.

Police say the masked man could be Man Bahadur as the preliminary investigation showed the murder and suicide of Man Bahadur are linked given a blood-stained Khukuri and some clothes soaked in blood, some cash and a cell phone were recovered near the place where Makhim was found hanging from a tree.

The locals said Man Bahadur and wife Man Kumari had some bitter moments.

Man Bahadur, a migrant worker his wife, who had been living with her parents for the past three years, had filed for a divorce.

The relatives of Man Bahadur have said he was mentally unstable and had gone to a pharmacy to purchase some medicine on Monday morning.

According to the police, Man Bahadur had telephoned a man asking for Rs 5000 to buy his medicines.

Though the husband and wife had a troubled relationship, “Man Bahadur alone could not have murdered the nine people of two families. If this is his work, other criminals could have helped him,” said a neighbor of Sherma family.

The locals of Miklajung have insisted the investigation should not be concluded finding Man Bahadur alone guilty in the horrific crime.

“How could a single person carry out such carnage,” another local resident of the village said.

The murder has also been linked with an incident two weeks ago when Muna Sherma and Man Kumari Phiyak had become sick after eating food which was cooked using salt mixed with grained glass.

The locals said the incident was true.

The bodies of the victims have already been handed over to the relatives after post-mortems.

Meanwhile, the locals of Milkajung say they feel terrified despite the presence of a huge police team in the village.