Questions mount as police investigate death of 16‑year‑old girl in Surkhet

As International Women’s Day was being observed with various events in Birendranagar, the capital of Karnali Province, the body of a teenage girl lay in the morgue of the provincial hospital awaiting a post-mortem examination.

The body was that of Inisha BK, 16, originally from Badakhola in Ward 6 of Gurbhakot Municipality and currently living in Ward 1 of Birendranagar.

Inisha was found unconscious on the morning of March 7 in a community forest near Shaheed Park in Birendranagar-4. Police transported her to the Provincial Hospital in Kalagaun, where doctors declared her dead.

Family members later filed a complaint with the District Police Office in Surkhet, alleging that she had been gang-raped and murdered. Mohanjung Budha Thapa, the office’s spokesperson and a deputy superintendent of police, said the complaint was registered on March 9.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that Inisha died after being raped. Police in Surkhet have arrested four suspects in connection with the case, all of whom are minors under the age of 18. A 16-year-old boy was detained on the afternoon of March 7, and three others were taken into custody the following day for further investigation.

What happened on March 7?

It was around 6 am on Saturday when Inisha told her mother she was leaving for a tuition class. Her mother, Tila BK, tried to stop her, reminding her that it was Saturday and that they needed to travel to their family home in Gurbhakot. Inisha insisted she would return within two hours and left the house.

She was a Grade 11 science student at Usha Balbatika School in Birendranagar-6. She had told her mother she would be back by 8 am. When she had not returned by 9, her mother tried to call her, but her phone was switched off.

“I called the school, but no one answered. The phone of Madhav, the computer teacher, was also off,” Tila says.

A short while later, someone called from an unfamiliar number and said, “Your daughter is lying unconscious in the forest near Shaheed Park. Please come quickly.”

Tila rushed to the park carrying her younger son. When she arrived, she found her daughter’s body covered in blood. Her hair had been pulled out, and the grass around her was flattened. One shoe lay on one side and a sock on the other.

Inisha was lying near a ditch. She had no clothes on and was covered by a black jacket.

“The police lifted the jacket and showed me my daughter’s face,” Tila recalls through tears. “There were bruises all over her chest. When I saw her like that, my body trembled. My vision blurred. I fainted right there. I didn’t even realise when the police took her to the hospital.”

Inisha’s father, Indra Bahadur BK, had retired from the Nepali Army and was working in Dubai. He had returned home on leave recently and had gone back to Dubai about a month earlier.

Seeking better opportunities for their children, he had gone abroad for work, while Tila had been living in Birendranagar for the past five years so their children could study.

Inisha was considered a strong student. Studying science, she hoped to become a doctor, a dream shared by her parents.

Now, the family is left asking why their daughter’s life was taken.

Since the news of her daughter’s death, Tila’s health has deteriorated. Indra Bahadur, devastated by the news, has been trying to return home, but the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to the closure of Dubai’s airport, leaving his flight uncertain.

“After my cousin’s death, my aunt hasn’t eaten anything. Her health is deteriorating,” said Chandra Bahadur, a relative. “My uncle is stranded at Dubai airport.”

At home, the mother remains distraught. Meanwhile, Chandra Bahadur and several friends have been making repeated trips to the District Police Office seeking answers.

“It has been four days of running back and forth,” he says while sitting in the courtyard outside the police office. “Some suspects have been arrested, but the investigation seems slow.”

The investigation

The victim’s family alleges that Inisha was raped by multiple perpetrators and then killed. Based on that claim, they filed a complaint accusing four individuals of rape and murder.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

“We are investigating the case from all angles,” Budha Thapa says. “All of those detained are minors, and their formal statements have not yet begun. The autopsy report from the provincial hospital has not yet arrived. Once it does, we will be able to reach a clearer conclusion.”

Police also informed that a team of three medical specialists from Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj has been called to Surkhet for a second post-mortem examination and further forensic analysis.

According to police, the 16-year-old suspect initially detained told investigators that he had sexual contact with Inisha and that she began bleeding heavily and lost consciousness. He said he then called three friends for help.

The victim’s family disputes that account, insisting she was gang-raped and killed.

“How can someone die from ‘normal sexual contact’? What kind of logic is that?” Chandra Bahadur says. “There are bruises on her body. Her hair was pulled out. Her vagina was torn. She was tortured before being killed. The perpetrators must face the harshest punishment.”

He said the family does not fully trust the police investigation.

“We filed a complaint against all four suspects,” he says. “But it feels like the police are trying to place the blame on only one and portray the other three as innocent, even though the post-mortem report hasn’t come yet. We are waiting for justice.”

Local human rights and advocacy groups in the district have also taken note of the case. They have submitted memorandums to the district administration and police demanding a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible.

The organisations described the incident as deeply tragic, inhumane and condemnable, and called for an impartial investigation.

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