An unidentified group killed a 32-year-old woman and her daughter by slitting their throats at Hardiya Paltuwa-3 in Rautahat district on Saturday.

Renu Sah and her nine-year-old daughter Ankita were found murdered near their house on Saturday morning. The bodies were recovered some 200 metres from the house. The motive behind the crime is not immediately known, said police.

The victims had ventured out of their house in the wee hours to answer the nature’s call. Renu’s mother-in-law Satbariya Devi had searched for them as they did not return home for long. She sought help from her son Ram Ekbal Sah, Renu’s brother-in-law, to find them.

Villagers had found the bodies on the road leading to Samanpur village. Superintendent of Police Ganesh Raj Regmi, who reached the site, said the incident was mysterious. Police started their probe by bringing sniffer dogs from Hetauda. No suspect was arrested as of Saturday evening.

Police are using Renu’s mobile phone and other objects found at the site for clues, said an investigating officer.

Renu’s father-in-law Bishun Dayal Sah, who was sleeping when the incident happened, told the police that he did not know anything about the incident. Renu’s husband works in Malaysia.

Woman held on charge of killing brother

Police held a 27-year-old woman from Chhatiwan-8 in Makwanpur district on the charge of killing her brother over a property row.

Also detained were Ramila Majhi, Dhan Bahadur Majhi, 35, of Phaparbari-1, and Bhugol Majhi, 23, of Chhatiwan-8 on the suspicion of their role in the murder of Megh Bahadur Majhi, 25. Police paraded the suspects to the media on Friday.

Preliminary police probe suggests that Ramila masterminded the murder to grab Rs6.1 million. Ramila’s mother owns the amount provided by the Kathmandu-Nijgadh Fast Track project to acquire the land belonging to the family.

Ramila, an unmarried woman, had been staying with her mother and brother. The victim was the only son in the family. According to police, the accused thrashed Megh Bahadur to death and buried the body in Durgamai community forest at Chhatiwan-7 on December 5. Ten days after the incident, local cattle herders had found the body and informed the police about it.

Ramila and Dhan Bahadur are said to be in a relationship. SP Mira Chaudhary said the victim had been murdered in the hope that Ramila and Dhan Bahadur would get the money from Ramila’s mother. Two of her accomplices were also detained.