What happened to Laxmi Rajbanshi? Police investigate final hours before Fukuoka killing

Japanese police are examining the final hours of Nepalese student Laxmi Rajbanshi as investigators try to establish what happened between the time she left work and when her body was found in a Fukuoka river.

Rajbanshi, 25, was found dead in the Naka River in Fukuoka’s Tenjin area early on August 19. Police have classified the case as murder after finding multiple injuries to her head and face and signs of a struggle and bloodstains inside her apartment.

Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi reported that Rajbanshi had been living in Japan for about three years. She was studying at a vocational school while working part-time at a restaurant.

Police have confirmed that she was at her part-time workplace until around 10:30pm on August 18. Investigators are now examining her movements after she left work and returned to the area where she lived.