Three persons, including a police inspector, were killed in a powerful explosion in Dhanusha, on Friday midnight. Four others sustained injuries in the blast at a house belonging to Rajesh Sah’s in Kshireshwarnath Municipality-5.

According to the District Police Office in Dhanusha, Rajesh Sah (46) and his son Ananda Sah (24) died on the spot, while Police Inspector Amir Kumar Dahal succumbed to his injuries in BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan.

Rajesh’s another son Prakas Sah (14), daughter Anjali Sah (19), father Bhikhari Sah (73) and police constable Rijhnath Mahato were injured in the explosion. They are receiving treatment in Dharan, police said.

Rajesh had informed the Area Police Office in Mahendranagar immediately after he saw the suspicious object hanging by the door. He went to the police office using another door and reported about the object. The explosive went off when Rajesh and the security personnel reached home.

According to the locals who witnessed the incident, the bomb went off without anyone touching it. Investigation officers suspected that it could be a time bomb. The house was badly damaged in the blast, leaving its main door ripped apart, the wall collapsed and window panes smashed.

The incident site is around 100 metres east of Mahendranagar Chowk along the Janakpur-Dhalkebar road section.

“Postmortems were performed on the bodies at the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences,” said Inspector Avadesh Kumar Yadav, at Dhanusa District Police Office.

Meanwhile, police arrested three persons in connection with the blast. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rameshwor Karki, Lalita Devi Mahara and Sita Devi Mahara of Hansapur-2 and Ramsobhit Dahal of Mithila Bihari-1 were detained for investigation. It is suspected that the accused trio are members of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal.

The District Police Office formed a seven-member investigation team led by Police Inspector Uma Shankar Sah. “Investigation is underway,” said Karki.

Rajesh was the owner of a pharmacy and a dairy in Mahendranagar Bazaar. It is not immediately known about the motive behind the blast, police said. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.

The body of Inspector Dahal, a permanent resident of Sankhuwasabha district, was bought to Kathmandu on Saturday at around 4 pm in a Nepal Army helicopter for the final rite, Yadav said.

(Shyam Sundar Shashi and Santosh Singh contributed reporting from Dhanusha)