Kavrepalanchok District Court has sentenced three people to life imprisonment for abducting, extorting and killing a man after luring him into a honeytrap.

The verdict relates to the murder of 50-year-old Binod Khadgi of ward 5 of Kirtipur Municipality, Kathmandu, on the night of September 21, 2024.

The convicts are Manisha Mahat of ward 2 of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchok, currently living in ward 9 of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality; Ashish Paswan of ward 6 of Gaushala Municipality, Mahottari, currently living in Kaushaltar, Bhaktapur; and Pratik Gautam of ward 7 of Galkot Municipality, Baglung, currently living in Koteshwar, Kathmandu.

A single bench of District Judge Nagendrakumar Kalakheti on Monday handed down the life sentences. Court registrar Indira Karki said the court also imposed a fine of Rs200,000 each and ordered them to deposit Rs2,800 per person into the victims relief fund.

In the same case, Sarin Ghimire of ward 5 of Shankharapur Municipality, Kathmandu, who was charged as an accomplice, was found guilty. His sentencing has been scheduled for a later date.

Two accused, Anshu Khan and Shivam Singh Rajput, remain at large. Other defendants, Roshani Mahat, Sanjay Khatri, Menuka Mahat and Dipesh Paudel, were acquitted.

According to police investigations, on the night of September 21, Manisha called Khadgi to a room on the pretext of seeking help to ready documents to obtain a copy of her citizenship certificate. After dinner, he was assaulted, and initially a ransom of Rs3 million was demanded. The amount was later settled at Rs500,000, which was handed over through Khadgi’s employee near Bhatbhateni in Radhe Radhe.

After receiving the ransom, Manisha, Anshu, Shivam, Ashish and Pratik allegedly planned the killing, tied Khadgi’s hands and feet and assaulted him. Police said he was killed in Gundu, Bhaktapur, and the body was later dumped at ward 8 of Panchkhal Municipality.

Police said statements showed the ransom money was later divided among those involved.