Various political parties, rights activists and members of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha, the representative organisation of Tharu indigenous people, have been demanding justice for Krishala Chaudhary, a 17-year-old girl of Mohanpur in Triyuga Municipality Ward No. 6 whose body was found in Rajdevi Community Forest on August 3.

According to her family, the girl had been out of contact since July 28.

After the identification of the body on August 3, police arrested seven suspected individuals for further investigation. “We are still investigating the incident. The details of the incident will be made public after we complete the investigation,” said Bed Prasad Gautam, deputy superintendent of police in Udayapur.

Assembly member of Province 1 Sunita Chaudhary and a House of Representatives of the province Suresh Kumar Rai have also requested the government to expedite investigation into the case, punish the guilty and provide justice to the deceased’s family.

Tharu organisations in Udayapur have also been protesting the death of the girl.

“The girl might have been raped and murdered. We demand that the police identify the perpetrators and punish them soon,” reads the statement signed by Shivakanta Chaudhary, district chairman of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha.