Sanjit Bhakta Pradhananga & Anup Ojha Kathmandu, May 15 Three arrests have been made in the murder of actor and singer Bikram Pariyar, while three suspects remain at large, according to the police. Pariyar, who had travelled to his home district of Tanahun to cast his vote in the local level election at Bhadgaon-1 of Byas, was allegedly attacked with rocks on the banks of the Seti River by a group of teenagers following a verbal altercation.

According to DSP Surendra Gurung, one 20-year-old man, and two women, 17 and 16 years old, have been arrested for alleged involvement in the murder. “According to our preliminary investigation, Pariyar had gone down to where the Seti and Madi rivers meet—a popular local scenic spot—to take some pictures with his friend Devi Narayan Shrestha. There they had a verbal altercation with some youngsters, who then attacked the two with large rocks,” Gurung said, “It is possible that the group was under the influence of narcotics when the attack took place.” According to Gurung, Shrestha, who also was injured in the attack has now been discharged from Ratna Hari Hospital in Pokhara and is now in stable condition.

According to locals, parts of Damauli, the headquarters for Tanahun district, remained tense on Monday with family members and several hundred fans picketing the District Administration Office, demanding the culprits be brought to justice.

Pawan Poudel, a local journalist, said that Pariyar’s death was a huge loss for Tanahun’s artscape and that locals were alarmed by his sudden passing. “He was one of the most prominent artists of Tanahun—always at the forefront of various melas and mahotsavs held here in the district. This will be a big blow for the promotion of arts and culture in and of Tanahun.”

Meanwhile in Kathmandu, a host of movie and theatre artists have expressed their shock at Pariyar’s murder, describing it as an “irreparable loss.” In a conversation with The Post, veteran director and actor Sunil Pokharel described Pariyar’s passing as a “massive blow for Nepali theatre” and described the incident as one of the “saddest days for Nepali arts, especially because it was brought upon by such senseless violence.”

Pariyar, 44, a man with many different hats, was a well-known singer, musician and an actor. Considered a pioneer for bringing live musical performances to Nepali theatre, Pariyar had lent his music to plays like Mahesh Bikram Shah’s Chokhyaune, the 2007 original play Talakjung Vs Tulke, Saru Bhakta’s Malami and Court Martial (2013). He had acted and scored over a dozen plays during his career. Not limited to the stage, Pariyar had also acted in several TV serials and movies including Nepal TV’s Dalan, Kusume Rumal, Phirkire, Singha Durbar, Tandav and the Spanish film Kathmandu Song. He was also a revered speech and music instructor who had been associated with Actor’s Studio, Mandala Theatre and Oscar International College.

Director Anup Baral, who had collaborated with Pariyar on different projects since 2006, said “Bikram Pariyar was a pioneer. There aren’t many people in Nepal who are capable of infusing live music to theatre. The loss to Nepali theatre is irreparable. The saddest part is that Bikram was such a friendly, cooperative and inspiring person.”

Movie star Karma, who worked with Pariyar in the play Court Martial in 2013, remembered the singer as an “inspiring musician and a great actor.” He said, “Bikram Sir, had this unique quality of being able to reign in our concentration through his music. Before every performance, we actors used to meditate to his music and it brought us all together. This is a tremendous loss to the industry.”

A resident of Kharibot in Lalitpur, Pariyar is survived by his wife and two children.