Police have recovered the charred body of Sanam Shakya from the boot of a vehicle during security check in Lahan in Siraha district in the Sagarmatha Zone of south-eastern Nepal.

 Shakya was missing from Biratnagar Metropolitan City-3 since four days.

A team of Crime Investigation Department of Nepal Police recovered the body from a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle bearing registration number Ba 12 Cha 5963. The security team followed the vehicle from Lahan in Siraha district.

They intercepted the Scorpio and found the victim’s body in vehicle’s dickey during security check. The security officers also recovered two batteries and wires from the vehicle.

Police arrested driver Rekraj Ranamagar and passengers Narendra Karki of Urlabari and Tekraj Mall Thakuri of Kavre. 

Police suspect the resident of Urlabari, Morang was tortured by electric current which caused his death.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Prajit KC said, “We have been tracing the Scorpio for past four days. We found it in Lahan at around 3am and followed.” He suspects Shakya might have been the porter of a Kathmandu-based gold smuggler. Shakya might have been killed during torture as he hid 34kg gold, Prajiot said. He refused to name the gold smuggler stating that it could affect the investigation of the incident.

The central police team later handed over the body and the arrested trio to the district police office in Morang. “We will know details about the incident after postmortem report and interrogation of the detainees,” said Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar BC.