Police have detained two individuals in connection with the death of two teenage girls from ward 8 of Dhakari Rural Municipality, Achham.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishwari Prasad Bhandari, chief of the District Police Office, Achham, said they were taken into custody on Monday.

“They were taken into custody at 2am,” said DSP Bhandari. “Based on what the detainees have said, their age seems to be under 20. Their birth certificates and other documents will clarify the exact age.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Nepal Police have taken the incident seriously, and the bodies have been sent to Bheri Provincial Hospital, Nepalgunj, for post-mortem, said Bhandari.

“Although the bodies were brought to the Mangalsen District Hospital for post-mortem on Sunday evening, they were taken to Nepalgunj following consultations with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the police authorities, and the family,” said DSP Bhandari. “It was advised to conduct the post-mortem in a place with forensic doctors to ensure an impartial investigation so that the report will be more credible,” he said.

The bodies of Saraswati Khadka, 15, and Ishara Khadka, 14, were discovered in a forest in ward 1 of Dhakari Rural Municipality on Saturday afternoon. The girls–aunt and niece by relation–had gone cattle herding on Friday but failed to return home. Their bodies were found by locals around 4 pm.

Both were grade eight students at Bidhya Prabodhini Secondary School in Ghodasain. Saraswati had recently injured her leg during a kabaddi selection game for the President Running Shield, which began on Thursday. According to Ishara’s sister-in-law Krishna, the school suspended regular classes on Friday due to the ongoing sports selection process.

The girls had gone to assist with household chores at the lower farmland, where their family had temporarily moved for winter farming. “After lunch on Friday, they went to a nearby forest they often visited. While the goats returned in the evening, the girls did not,” Krishna said. The family searched neighbouring villages, but their efforts were in vain. Rumours of the girls eloping began circulating in the community.

On Saturday evening, a local group led by Tek Bahadur Budthapa discovered the bodies in the forest, about a four-hour walk from Ghodasain village. “We were heading to Rawa River to fish when we noticed red clothing near a spot where I had dug for yam the previous day. On closer inspection, we found the bodies bloodied and with head injuries,” Budthapa said.

The Khadka family has rejected the possibility of an accident, suspecting a premeditated attack. “This was a planned killing and must be investigated,” said Saraswati’s sister-in-law Maisara Devi.

Former Dhakari-8 ward chairperson Lal Bahadur Bhandari said a complaint is being prepared against a youth who frequently contacted the girls and reportedly met them in the forest on the day of the incident. “Both girls had head injuries. There is enough reason to suspect foul play,” he said.

The fathers of the deceased, who work in India, are returning home to lodge the complaint.

Police said Saraswati’s body was found 15 metres uphill from Ishara’s. They suspect falling rocks in the area may have caused the injuries but emphasised that the investigation is ongoing. “The girls had head injuries. It’s too early to draw conclusions. Evidence collection is underway,” said DSP Bhandari.

Achham’s Chief District Officer Shiva Prasad Lamsal said a trained dog from Kohalpur’s canine branch has been brought in to assist with the investigation.