Dhading : Hotel owner Sahuhaving links to the murder of binod Thapa Magar in Galkhela Village Municipality-8 of Dhading has been revealed. District Police Chief and Police Inspector Gautam Mishra informed that Vinod, a 25-year-old who went to Khaja Khan’s hotel, was stabbed to death by Niraj Pandit, the owner of Sandar Hotel and Lodge. “The incident occurred around 12 o’clock on Wednesday night. It is reported that the incident took place after a heated argument between binod, who came as a customer, and the hotel operator,” said SP Mishra. “Niraj Pandit has been arrested on charges of murdering Vinod.” He also mentioned that Saraswati Pandit, the hotel operator, and four other individuals present at the hotel have been brought under control. “After the family filed a complaint regarding the murder, the legal process will proceed,” he added.
After the murder of Vinod, the aggrieved party carried out a protest in Sanadar Hotel on Thursday morning. “When the protesters set fire, one room’s bed caught fire. Despite efforts to control the fire, it caused further damage. The vehicle belonging to the hotel owner was also vandalized,” said Mishra.
According to Kamal Thapa Magar, who was present with Vinod at the time of the violent incident, “We were dining at Sanadar Hotel. The bill for the meal amounted to NPR 11,000. When we requested to pay NPR 15,000 and get the change of NPR 400, the hotel owner Saraswati Pandit created a dispute, claiming that only NPR 23,000 remained.” Kamal added, “Vinod said he didn’t owe any more money and asked to see the bill. Saraswati then grabbed binod’s collar and physically assaulted him.”
According to Kamal, until that moment, binod considered Niraj, the son of the hotel owner, as his friend, and they had been studying together. “Vinod told me not to talk about it when he arrived. He wanted to settle the remaining amount. But as soon as Niraj arrived, he forcefully grabbed binod and pushed him away from the table. I also got involved in the scuffle. Niraj didn’t attack Vinod with a knife until then,” Kamal stated. He further revealed, “When I went out, Niraj again pushed me and threw me. Kamal informed about the incident. “Niraj locked Vinod inside the room and attacked him with a knife. In the second attack, binod was severely injured and fell on the road. He rode a motorcycle with injuries to his head and hand and was taken to a health facility in Galkhela. However, binod couldn’t be saved,” he said.
