Man arrested for killing newborn in Pokhara 10 months ago

Ten months after a newborn baby’s body was found near Bijaypur bridge in Kaski, police have arrested a man linked to the crime.

On the evening of Ashoj 13, 2081 (September 29, 2024), locals discovered a zebra-patterned bag near Chauthe, Pokhara. Inside was the body of a newborn boy, wrapped in a pink blanket, with visible head injuries. Police were informed, and the body was taken for post-mortem. An investigation began, but the killer remained unknown.

Nearly a year later, police received a tip that the same couple who had abandoned the first baby had gone to Pokhara’s Western Regional Hospital to give birth to another child. Following this lead, police arrested Govinda Lamichhane, a resident of Nuwakotgadhi–5 currently living in Pokhara-9, Nagdhunga. He was arrested on Shrawan 4 (July 20, 2025), based on confidential information.

According to police, Govinda and his wife had killed their first child due to financial problems, believing they couldn’t afford to raise him. Govinda confessed that after his wife gave birth at the hospital, he attacked the baby during discharge — hitting the baby on the head and strangling him before placing the body in a bag and leaving it by the roadside.

Kaski Police Chief SP Shyambabu Oliya said that the husband pressured his wife not to give birth, but when the child was born anyway, they decided to kill him due to financial struggles.

CCTV footage from the hospital helped police identify the couple, showing them leaving with a similar zebra bag. The investigation confirmed the timeline — the couple was discharged from the hospital on Ashoj 12 (28 September), and the bag with the baby was found the next day.

Govinda’s wife has recently given birth again and is still under police watch at the hospital. Police said her role in the earlier case is also under investigation.

Govinda Lamichhane is currently in police custody and is being investigated for homicide. The Kaski District Court has granted police a seven-day extension to continue their investigation.