A 60-year-old man named Om Prakash Rai was found dead near the picnic area in Bode Nilbarahi, Bhaktapur, early Sunday morning around 5:55 AM.
As soon as the police received the information, teams from the Bhaktapur District Police Office and the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office reached the scene.
The body was lying on the ground covered in blood. The man had a severe head injury, his right earlobe was torn, and a blood-stained stone was found nearby. Police suspect it to be a case of murder and have started an investigation.
Near the body, there was a sack containing scrap items, along with a cap and a bag. This led the police to believe that the deceased was a scrap collector. Later, his son, who works as a Pathao rider in Kathmandu, identified the body.
Rai, originally from Kepilasgadhi-2, Khotang, used to collect scrap materials for a living. He had three sons, one of whom lives in Greece. His body has been sent to KMC Hospital, Duwakot, for post-mortem.
Police suspect the murder happened the previous night. Rai was reportedly accompanied by two other scrap collectors, who are now being investigated.
Interestingly, a religious ritual was conducted near the crime scene on Saturday. Police suspect Rai might have gone there to collect offerings left after the prayers. There is a possibility that a dispute over collecting these offerings led to the murder. However, investigations are still ongoing to uncover more details.