When I saw the mutilated bodies of two teenage girls in the middle of the forest...

Magh 20, 2081

Menuka Dhungana

When I saw the mutilated bodies of two teenage girls in the middle of the forest...

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Some of the information found in Facebook's newsfeed is sometimes shocking. The same thing happened on January 11th. It was 8 o'clock at night. Someone had written, 'Two girls from Dhakari rural municipality-8 of Achham were out of touch since yesterday...' This status had a hint of some unpleasant incident.

This information was enough to make me angry. Because, I was aware of how girls are subjected to violence, how they are victims of rape and how their lives are being lost . And I was aware that if we were not alerted in time, such barbaric events would be hidden or suppressed using access to power.

To understand about this incident, I called Achham police chief DSP Iswari Prasad Bhandari. He said that two teenage girls of Dhakari rural municipality-8 Ghodasain were found dead and said, "The bodies of 14-year-old Saraswati Khadka and Ishwari Khadka were found at a distance of about 20 meters in the Chinne forest. We have got the information that they are close relatives of the same house.'

I also got to know other things from the police. Like, on January 11th, they left home in the morning to graze cattle. After he did not come home until the evening, the family started searching . Villagers found the body only at 6 pm on Saturday, January 12th. And finally, the police came to know about the incident.

DSP Bhandari also said that a team with the Chief District Officer will go to the spot on Sunday morning. I have sent this notice of the incident for publication . After this news was published on e-kantipur dotcom, I started looking for more information .

Why was the girl killed? Was it just murder or murder after rape ? Who are the criminals? And the place where the body was found was the place of the incident or maybe it was killed somewhere and thrown there ? Will there be a fair investigation in this incident? Will the dead get justice?

Many questions started to arise in my mind .

It was not possible to get answers to so many questions without reaching the scene. But it was not so easy to reach the place. After inquiring here and there, I found out that it was only possible to reach there after a 2-hour car journey and a 5-hour walk from Mangalsen. How to go

, go alone or take a friend! While thinking like this, it was 11 o'clock at night. Some friends didn't pick up the phone . Some friends did not dare to go that far. Someone said that he wanted to go but his health was not good .

I called Prakash Saud, chairman of Dhakari rural municipality, asking for more information about the incident at around 5 o'clock on Sunday morning. He said that he had reached Dhangadhi the previous day and was returning to Achham as soon as he heard the news. I hurriedly asked, 'Where did you go?' As soon as he replied that he had reached the Kailash River, I asked, 'If you have a seat, don't take me too!' I spent a decade in journalism but for the first time I was leaving home without informing my parents. I reached the place where the municipal president's car was. After traveling about 8 kilometers from home, I finally got the message to report home .

I called Ramesh Rawat, President of Journalist Federation Achham, from the car. He said that he would also go to the spot after some time. I thought to myself, if there are at least two journalists, no one can cover up the incident under the guise of power.

When I reached the scene...

After a 2-hour car journey and a 5-hour walk, we reached the scene. Before reaching there, I was tired. Because, uphill and downhill and somewhere else, there was a way to run the Ringta. On the way, I met the team of Chief District Officer and Chief of Police who had left Mangalsen.

In the morning, maybe seeing the arrival of the police and new people, or knowing about the incident, the locals seemed to have gathered there . As many as 25 local people have been waiting for the body all night at the scene. I saw the bodies of two teenage girls from a short distance away. One was 14-year-old Ishara Khadka and the other was 15-year-old Saraswati Khadka. When I saw the mutilated bodies of two teenage girls in the middle of the forest...

Ishara's face was devastated. I couldn't even find the words to describe her condition. Saraswati Khadka fell lifeless 15 meters above Ishara's body. He had a deep injury on the back of his head. The clothes were torn . There were tears, chappals and a white dupatta on the side.

I reached about 10 meters above the place where the body was. It looked as if a large stone had been taken out from above. It looked like a stone was removed from the spot. Somewhere the tree branches were seen to be broken . If you don't look at the scene of the incident with suspicion, it could be said that both of them lost their lives by the fall of big stones.

The relatives and neighbors of the girl who reached the scene were silent. They were looking at the dead body with tears in their eyes. Suspecting murder, the voice of putting pressure on the police-administration was not heard anywhere . All were shocked and fainted .

According to Krishna Khadka, Ishara's sister-in-law, Ishara and Saraswati did not study in school, so they came to Bensi to help their parents. After having dinner on Friday afternoon, they reached the forest with a goat and did not return until late in the evening. The search started. He knows about the phone conversation between Nand Ishara and a teenager from Dhakari. Based on that information, some are speculating that Ishara ran away with that boy and Saraswati is hiding fearing this.

After Nanda does not return home, Krishna asks the teenager about the gesture. In response, the teenager said that he and 3 other people met Ishara and Saraswati in the forest in the afternoon and later the police started the investigation based on the information given by Krishna.

After seeing Saraswati and Ishara in the dense forest about 4 hours below Ghodasain village, Tek Bahadur Budthapa and others who went fishing in the river on Saturday evening, the news of the death spread throughout the village . I kept on reporting about the killing of those girls . Both the police headquarters and the Ministry of Home Affairs showed interest in the incident. And the police also seriously proceeded with the investigation .

After investigating the incident, the police concluded that Ishara and Saraswati were in a relationship. And they were forced to die when they refused the offer of physical intercourse. After this incident, I wondered why teenage love and the tendency to try to force it by taking advantage of this love is growing up in this society and what are the social reasons behind it . I also wondered what was the fault of Ishara and Saraswati and why they were forced to suffer the punishment of murder . And I thought, was it their fault that they refused to have physical relations?

This question is bothering my mind even now, stressing me and shaking my mind.

Menuka

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