Two Arrested in Nepal for Allegedly Stealing Earrings From Flood Victim
Kathmandu — Nepal Police have arrested two men accused of stealing gold earrings from the body of a woman swept into the Narayani River during the country’s devastating floods, after video of the incident went viral on social media.
Police said the suspects were identified after officers reviewed footage showing two men pulling the woman’s body from the river before allegedly removing earrings from both ears.
The District Police Office in Chitwan identified the suspects as Madan Bhujel, 25, and Umesh Chaudhary, 38. Both were temporarily living in Bharatpur Metropolitan City in southern Chitwan district.
Police official Suraj Budha said the two men were arrested Thursday near Pokhara Bus Park in Bharatpur.
The viral footage appeared to show the men using wooden planks and the woman’s hair to pull her body from the water. They then allegedly removed earrings from both ears and placed them aside.
Several people were seen standing nearby, with some recording the scene on their phones.
Chitwan Police said investigators determined that the woman’s body had been swept away by floodwaters and carried downstream into the Narayani River in Nepal’s southern plains.
Police described the alleged theft as an inhumane act at a time when communities across the country are dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
The arrests came as Nepal continued large-scale search-and-rescue operations in flood-hit areas. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 478 people had been confirmed dead as of Friday afternoon, while 977 remained out of contact.
Authorities also issued a fresh warning Friday about the possibility of additional flooding after receiving reports of a lake outburst in Tibet that could send more water downstream into Nepal. (Source: IANS)
