The last rites of slain businessman Raj Kumar Shrestha were performed in Dang on Saturday.

Thousands of people have attended the funeral of Shrestha on the bank of Babai River.

Police on Friday recovered the body of Shrestha from a dense forest in Salyan.

Shrestha, 53, was abducted along with Rana Bahadur Gharti, who is now being treated as a suspect in the crime, on the night of June 9 while they were driving to Salyan. 

The body was identified with the help of his clothes, the District Police Office Salyan said.

Traders have decided to close the markets for three days to mourn the death of Shrestha, a permanent resident of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City-5.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of 28-year-old Gharti is still unknown. 

Police suspect that Gharti, a resident of Harpur in Ghorahi, may have a role in the abduction.

Police have so far arrested four suspects in connection to the incident. 

Police said that they have arrested Man Bahadur Pun of Rolpa, Rugat Thapa Magar of Pabannagar in Dang, Abiral Mahatara of Tulsipur-12 in Dang, and Jama Pun of Ghorahi-14 in Dang for investigation, SP Dhiraj Pratap Singh said.

He added that three other suspects, including Pun’s 17-year-old daughter, Puja, is at large.

Investigation has revealed that it was Puja who had called Shrestha on his phone and invited him to Salyan.

SP Singh said that Shrestha was accompanied by Gharti in the trip and the kidnapping took place on the way.

The abductors had demanded Rs 30 million from Shrestha’s family for his release