A 75-year-old man from Raksirang Rural Municipality in Makawanpur district has been arrested for allegedly fatally shooting a local shaman (dhami) in what police describe as a murder driven by deep-rooted superstition.

Inspector Raju Kurmi of Makawanpur District Police Office said that Imansingh Thokar of Kolgaidi Thakuridanda shot 64-year-old shaman Thule Gole in the chest on Friday. Thokar told investigators that he held the dhami responsible for the deaths of his five-year-old grandson and three neighbours over the past four years.

“Thokar showed little remorse during interrogation and claimed that the dhami had ‘pierced and killed’ his relatives and neighbours through supernatural means,” Kurmi said. Thokar had bought the pistol for Rs6,500 and three bullets for Rs900 about 18 months ago, he stated.

Thokar, the father of 11 children, had left home with the pistol on Friday, ignoring questions from his daughter about why he was carrying a firearm. He was arrested the same evening while hiding in a nearby forest, police said.

Officers recovered a pistol, two rounds of ammunition, a cartridge case and 190 grams of gunpowder from him.

Inspector Kurmi said extremely low literacy rates in Raksirang and widespread belief in witchcraft and spirit possession contribute to such incidents.

Thokar’s wife died 17 years ago, and he currently lives with a daughter suffering from mental health problems.

Police have launched further investigation into the killing.