Kathmandu — An 83-year-old man was brutally murdered in Lalitpur with the motive of stealing a gold ring, police have confirmed. The victim’s body was found stuffed inside a sack and dumped in a well, days after he was reported missing.
According to the District Police Range, Lalitpur, the deceased has been identified as Garjaman Thapa, a permanent resident of Ilam who had been living in Lalitpur Metropolitan City–17. Thapa went missing around 2 pm on December 26, prompting relatives to search the surrounding area throughout the day.
When he could not be located, a missing person complaint was filed at the Satdobato Police Circle at around 7 pm the same day. Despite continued searches, his whereabouts remained unknown for two days.
On the third day, locals spotted a suspicious white sack inside a well located about 800 meters northeast of Thapa’s residence. After being alerted, police retrieved the sack and confirmed that it contained the body of the missing elderly man, according to SSP Hobindra Bogati of the District Police Range, Lalitpur.
Initial investigation indicated homicide, as the body had been tightly packed in the sack before being disposed of. Police subsequently arrested 23-year-old Saddham Mansur, a resident of East Champabihar, Motihari district of India, in connection with the murder. He was arrested by a joint team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office’s Lalitpur unit and the Lalitpur police.
Police have also detained Yusuf Ansari and Mohammad Noman for further investigation. According to investigators, Mansur was acquainted with the victim as both frequently visited a nearby plywood factory where Mansur was employed. On December 26, Thapa had gone to the factory as usual, where the crime took place.
Police investigation revealed that Mansur murdered Thapa with the intention of stealing a three-tola gold ring that the elderly man regularly wore. During interrogation, Mansur confessed to slitting Thapa’s throat with a knife around 5 pm. The body was later wrapped, placed in a sack, and dumped into a well at around 11:55 pm, approximately 200 meters from the factory.
Police have recovered both the stolen gold ring and the knife used in the murder. Investigators stated that the suspect had consumed alcohol prior to committing the crime.
A homicide case has been registered against Mansur, and further investigation is ongoing to determine the involvement of others and the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
