An elderly couple was beaten to death by their neighbour on charge of “practising witchcraft” at Likhu-2 in Nuwakot district on Wednesday night. 

SP Dev Bahadur Bohara said Rabi Tamang, 23, beat his Dhan Bahadur Tamang, 72, and his wife Kanchhi Tamang, 71, to death with batons and stones at around 8:15pm. The incident site is around 50 km east of Bidur, the district headquarters of Nuwakot.  

Police quoted Dil Maya Tamang, daughter of the murdered couple, as saying that Rabi assaulted her parents with sticks and stones, accusing them of practising witchcraft. According to her, the Tamang couple had a dispute with Rabi’s family over land since long. 

During her statement to police, Dil Maya said she had telephoned her brother in Kathmandu at around 6:15pm on Wednesday after Rabi threatened them over land dispute. “While threatening us, Rabi had also accused my parents of practising witchcraft,” she added.

Police have detained Rabi and his mother. 

The bodies have been sent to the district headquarters for post-mortem. 

A third body was also found nearby. The man was later identified as Sun Lama Tamang, who was said to have reached the incident site allegedly to abet Rabi in the crime. Investigating officials suspect Sun Lama could have collapsed after seeing the battered bodies of the elderly couple.