Maya Fled to Her Parents’ Home Before Jumping into the Bheri River with Her Children

Chaitra 5, Surkhet (Gurbhakot) – On Tuesday, Chaitra 3, hundreds of locals gathered at the banks of the Bheri River in Mehelkuna, Gurbhakot-7, eastern Surkhet. The Bheri River, fed by melting glaciers, continues to flow strongly in Chaitra. Despite this, there was a heavy silence along the riverbank.

On the tranquil turquoise waters of the Bheri, which glistens with melted glacier water, three to four boats from the Armed Police Forces and Nepal Police were afloat. “Salam sir! We have searched about 6-7 kilometers downstream but have found nothing,” reported a security official from one of the boats to a police officer on site.

They have been searching for three days for a five-year-old boy who plunged into the Bheri River along with his mother. Yet, there has been no trace of them. It was from this very riverbank that 38-year-old Maya Kathayat of Piple, Gurbhakot-12, jumped into the Bheri river with her 11-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son on Sunday evening.

On Monday evening, Maya’s body was found at Patare, Lekbesi-3, while her daughter’s body was recovered Tuesday morning along the Bheri riverbank in Gurbhakot-12. The five-year-old son remains missing. The rescue teams have been searching continuously for four days.

The crowd gathered along the Bheri had one pressing question – why did Maya make such a tragic decision? What circumstances led her to jump into the river with her children?

Neither the locals nor the police had any clear answers regarding the cause of the suicide. Maya’s husband was also present at the scene.

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On Friday evening, Falgun 29, Maya went to her youngest father’s house in Gurbhakot-12. Accompanying her were her daughter Asha, 11, and son Deepak, 5. She had not visited in four years.

The family was overjoyed by the sudden visit of the daughter who rarely came home. “Where did you come from at this time?” asked her youngest father, Amardev Giri. Maya responded that she had been ill with jaundice and had received treatment in Nepalgunj.

Shortly afterward, Maya’s husband, Bhupendra Kathayat, called Amardev. “Father-in-law, is the daughter there?” After Amardev confirmed, Bhupendra said he would come to pick her up and asked him to send her by the upper road.

However, Amardev requested that she come home instead. Bhupendra declined. After eating, Maya left with her children to go to her husband’s place. Moments later, Bhupendra called again, “Father-in-law, I am upstairs. Please send her quickly.” Amardev replied that she had already left the house.

“Afterwards, he also came. We searched separately for about half an hour but could not find her,” Amardev stated. “Later, we learned she had been hiding nearby, scared that her husband would beat her.” Amardev gathered the family at his home.

Maya shared with Amardev that her husband frequently beat her and had relationships with other women. He kept a knife at home and threatened to kill her with it. While narrating this, Bhupendra struck Maya several times in front of her parents, but Amardev’s family intervened to stop it.

“We later found out that Maya had not come from Nepalgunj, but had returned home following a quarrel among the elderly women,” Amardev recalled. “After that, I did not let her go back at night. Bhupendra was intoxicated. I told them to discuss it in the morning and then take her.”

Bhupendra expressed arrogance, saying he could not live with Maya anymore and intended to separate. When Maya refused, he said he called her a poor, naked girl but kept the knife at home only for protection and never showed it to her.

Amardev sent Bhupendra home, saying everything can be resolved tomorrow, and went to sleep at 10:30 pm himself.

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On Saturday, Falgun 30, Amardev left early for work, returned home around noon to eat, then left again. Maya and Bhupendra had no disputes by then. After returning in the evening, everyone was already asleep. Bhupendra came to Amardev’s home around 9 pm.

Amardev tried reasoning with Bhupendra, who was calmer that day. “I told him to discuss further in the morning and take Maya then. I went to bed, and told him to sleep too, but he left around 11 pm,” Amardev said.

Early Sunday morning, Chaitra 1, Maya left her youngest father’s house at 6 am to return to her husband’s home, saying they had resolved their conflicts and would no longer fight. Amardev sent her off, hoping the dispute had been settled.

Around 12:30 pm, Bhupendra came to Amardev’s house asking, “Where is your daughter?” Amardev was shocked, replying, “I sent her in the morning; why do you ask?” Bhupendra’s demeanor changed abruptly. Amardev recalled, “He was stunned and fell silent.”

Amardev also began searching but found no sign of her. That evening, Bhupendra called to inform him that clothes, a bag, and sandals had been found near the Bheri riverbank but there was no trace of Maya.

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Around 4 pm Sunday evening, the sky darkened with thunder and rain began. Those attending a gathering began heading home. At that moment, Maya was spotted at the Bheri riverbank with her children.

Karvir Budha, 67, a local herding goats nearby, asked Maya, “Where are you going at this hour?” Distracted, Maya replied, “I came by vehicle; my father became sick, so I came to check on him.”

Her answer was unconvincing. Karvir later informed his family. Maya’s husband, Bhupendra, had been searching for her and the children since the afternoon.

According to Maya’s elder brother, Premraj Giri, their niece Asha was supposed to take her final Grade 5 exams starting Sunday. Since she was absent, the school contacted Bhupendra, who then called Amardev asking about Maya’s whereabouts. “I told him she left early in the morning,” Amardev said. “During the search, we found clothes, a mobile phone, and some money along the riverbank.”

Premraj stated that ongoing abuse was a key reason why his sister took such a drastic step. He revealed that Maya had faced continuous physical abuse since last Dashain (Nepali festival).

“Previously, Bhupendra worked in India and only visited once or twice a year. Their relationship was reportedly good then,” Premraj explained. “Since last Dashain, Bhupendra began operating an auto rickshaw here and started regularly abusing her mentally and physically, leading to this tragic outcome.”

Maya’s family demanded an impartial investigation and that those involved be prosecuted according to the law. “He even beat her in front of us at her parental home. Imagine the abuse she must have endured at home,” said Amardev, the youngest father. “Fearing further violence after returning home, it seems she jumped into the river with her grandchildren.”

Prakash KC, chief of the Chhinchu Police Station, said initial investigations indicated the incident was due to domestic conflict. “It appears Maya jumped into the Bheri River with her children following disputes with her husband,” Police Inspector KC stated.