Five detained as police investigate death of Laxmi Rajbanshi in Fukuoka

Five people have been detained by Japanese police as the investigation continues into the death of Nepalese student Laxmi Rajbanshi in Fukuoka, according to Nepal’s Embassy in Tokyo.

Rajbanshi, 25, was found dead in the Naka River in central Fukuoka on August 19. Japanese police have classified the case as a homicide and established a special investigation headquarters at Chuo Police Station.

Japanese media reports say Rajbanshi’s body was discovered at about 5:45am in the Tenjin area. She was found face down in the river and was pronounced dead after police and emergency crews recovered her.

Police later identified her as a 25-year-old Nepalese vocational school student living in Fukuoka’s Chuo Ward.

An autopsy found numerous injuries to her head and face. Japanese police believe she may have been struck with a hard object, although the forensic examination had not established a definitive cause of death.