Relatives suspect foul play in accident death

By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 10: Relatives of a woman, who lost her life in a car accident in Bhaktapur last Saturday night, have suspected that she may have been killed in a planned manner. Even four days after the woman's death, her relatives have been refusing to perform an autopsy of the body demanding a fair investigation.
Riya Shrestha, 30, of Dhumbarahi in Kathmandu was killed in a car accident on December 5.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Range, Bhaktapur, has extended the time limit by filing a complaint against Ranjit Karki, a car driver from Bhaktapur.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rishi Ram Kandel of the Range said that the delay in the post-mortem due to the refusal by the relatives also affected the investigation.
The relatives of the deceased, including her husband Raju Shrestha, reached the police office on Tuesday and informed about the possibilities.
"Even on Wednesday, post-mortem cannot be done because of relatives. The relatives suspect that the cause of death was not accidental but something else,” said DSP Kandel.
According to the police, what is said in the post-mortem report will further support the investigation. “Preliminary investigations have shown a car accident. The issue will be resolved according as what has been seen in the CC camera. An autopsy is needed for this," said Kandel.
Raju Shrestha, husband of the deceased, said that the matter was being discussed with the family.
Shrestha said, "We are discussing the matter of conducting the post-mortem. Looking at the incident, we do not believe that she died in the accident. How is it possible for only the woman to die while three other males in the same accident survive?” he questioned. The relatives have already taken the form from the police office for post-mortem but they have not agreed for it so far.
"We will look at whether the death was due to an accident or other causes. We will also check the technical side of the vehicle. An investigation is also carried out into how the incident took place, only then the reality of the incident will be known,” said DSP Kandel.
The police have already told all these things to the relatives of the deceased.
Riya was apparently killed in a car accident with registration no. Ba 8 Cha 4756 while they were coming to Kathmandu from Madhyapur Thimi-3 near Kaushaltar. Leaving the woman there on the road, three other occupants left the scene, as the CCTV footage showed.
Based on the CCTV footage, three of them were arrested on Sunday.
The police rushed the woman to a nearby hospital (Nagarik Hospital) but the hospital declared her dead before her admission.
Car driver Karki, 26, of Lokanthali in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-1 of Bhaktapur, during interrogation by the police, said that the accident happened when they were on the way to drop her at her home after returning from a short trip within the valley on Saturday. But police and relatives are still suspecting otherwise.
Bijaya Deuja, 26, of Thimi-5, Radheradhe, and Sudip Thapa, 27, of Suryabinayak-4, Gamcha were also in the car. Police have also detained them for investigation.