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.

Her apartment has become an important part of the investigation. Police reportedly found bloodstains and evidence suggesting that a struggle had taken place in the bedroom. Rajbanshi’s body was later discovered in the river, leaving investigators to determine how she travelled from her home to the location where she was found.

A neighbour also reportedly heard a loud sound during the period between approximately 11:30pm and 12:30am. Japanese media have reported that investigators are considering whether the sound could be connected to events in or around the river, although police have not publicly established what caused it.

At around 3am on August 19, a female acquaintance contacted police to report that Rajbanshi was missing. About three hours later, at approximately 5:45am, a passer-by reported seeing a person in the Naka River. Police and emergency personnel recovered Rajbanshi’s body from the water.

A forensic examination found multiple injuries to her head and face that appeared consistent with blows from a hard object. Japanese reports have said that a definitive cause of death had not yet been established.

Police have established a special investigation headquarters at Chuo Police Station and are continuing to examine evidence from Rajbanshi’s apartment, the river and her movements before her death.

The investigation has also involved several people being detained, according to Nepal’s Embassy in Tokyo. Nepalese authorities are coordinating with the relevant agencies as efforts continue to repatriate Rajbanshi’s body to Nepal.

For the Nepalese community in Japan, the case has raised questions about what happened during the short period between Rajbanshi leaving work and her body being discovered.

Police have yet to publicly establish the complete sequence of events or announce the circumstances that led to her death. The investigation remains ongoing.