By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, Dec. 25: Several cases of homicides have been reported between family members, mostly husband and wife, across the country.
Police said that the crime is mostly induced by verbal dispute and further fuelled by alcohol consumption.
Several senior police officers with whom The Rising Nepal spoke to informed that husbands killing wives were mostly a result of alcoholic behaviour and such crimes were increasing in low-income families.

On Tuesday, Bana Area Police Office arrested Dipen Rai from Ward No. 3 of Panchkhapan Municipality in Sankhuwasabha on charge of killing his 29-year-old wife Bishnu Maya Rai.
Police officers at the office said that Dipen was a drunkard and dispute with his wife was common. Police had even arrested him earlier on charge of his abusive behaviour.

“Dipen was strictly warned by police as well as locals to not continue such behaviour. However, he still drank often. On Monday, night he hit his wife and it led to her death,” said a police officer at Bana on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with the media.
On December 19, Mandira Rai, 25, was found dead in her rented room at Ward No. 5 of Suryabinayak Municipality. She died due to the beatings by her 28-year-old husband Jiban Rai.
Fugitive Rai was arrested by the Bhaktapur Police later.

Similarly, on December 16, 50-year-old Dabal Bahadur Thapa was arrested from Ward No. 6 of Bhirkot Municipality, Syangja, on charge of killing his 45-year-old wife Kopila Thapa.
“Dabal Bahadur was an alcoholic. He used to return home drunk and initiate senseless topics for dispute with his wife often. He was warned time and again by locals and police but he didn’t change,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajendra Prasad Adhikari.

DSP Adhikari, who is also the information officer for Syangja District Police, further added that Dabal Bahadur hit his wife in a fit of rage, leading to her death.
“Local police had reached the site and rushed the injured wife towards hospital but she died during treatment. The husband was arrested. A hit in anger while drunk led to the crime,” said DSP Adhikari.
Police officers argued that they had been destroying thousands of litres of homemade liquors but still a complete control over the illicit selling of such liquors was impossible.

“Even those with no income find a way to get drunk and return home only to fight with their wives and other family members. A physical hit in rage either with bare hands or some weapon then results to death of the victim,” said DSP Adhikari.
Using physical violence, police warns, is a risk and individuals should not decide to use it.

On Thursday night, 35-year-old Harka Maya BK was arrested on charge of murdering her 40-year-old husband Tek Bahadur BK. A resident of Ward No. 14 of Dhangadhimai Municipality, Siraha, Harka Maya had hit Tek Bahadur with a wooden stick in a fit of rage during a dispute between the duo.

“The family members had rushed injured Tek Bahadur to the hospital but he died on the way. When we got informed, the body was kept in the house of the deceased’s brother in Ward No. 13,” said DSP Subash Budhathoki.
DSP Budhathoki, who is also the information officer for Siraha District Police, informed that Harka Maya did not intend to kill her husband.

“She attacked with the stick and it hit a vital part. Using physical violence during rage can inadvertently result in such incidents, so such violent thoughts should always be kept away,” said DSP Budhathoki.
Moreover, police officers stressed that a strict policy was required to restrict rampant selling of alcohol as it would also mitigate risks of homicides as well as cases of domestic violence.
A large portion of crimes reported to Nepal Police is of domestic violence.