On August 16, police arrested Bijay Mahara, 19, at his home in Garuda Municipality-8, Rautahat, along with 10 others over their alleged involvement in a murder that took place a day earlier.

Area Police Office Garuda alleged that Mahara assisted Shekh Alam, another local resident, in the murder of Niranjan Ram, also from the same area.

Despite repeated requests from family members and local rights activists, police didn’t allow family members to meet Mahara and other detainees. However, ten days later, on August 26 mid-night, the family was told Mahara died while receiving treatment for a kidney ailment at National Medical College, Birgunj.

“He didn’t have any health issues. Severe torture by police took his life,” Mahara’s uncle Rajesh Ram told the Post. “Police tried to force him to confess to his involvement in the crime,” said Ram alleging that police wanted to frame his nephew and other Dalit youths for the crime to save the real murderers.

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