Mother’s 11-month battle to bring home daughter’s murdered body

KATHMANDU: The body of Tilmaya Sarkhi, a resident of Kawasoti Municipality-4 in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta West), who was murdered in Malaysia 11 months ago, will be brought to Nepal today.

Following her murder on the 29th of Baishakh (May 11, 2024), her family had made efforts to repatriate her body, but there were delays.

The delay in bringing Tilmaya’s body to Nepal was addressed after a news report titled “70-year-old mother still wandering to bring back her daughter’s body” was published by Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) on 1st of Falgun (Feb 13, 2025). After the report, the matter gained priority, and efforts to bring the body to Nepal accelerated.

Tilmaya, 25, had gone to Malaysia for employment, but after her murder, her family was not only unable to receive her body but also faced challenges in completing paperwork for compensation.

Having divorced her husband and left her six-year-old daughter in her mother’s care, Tilmaya was killed by a Pakistani national.

Since learning of her daughter’s death, Tilmaya’s 70-year-old mother, Dhanmaya Sarkhi, had been running from one office to another to bring her daughter’s body back.

However, the Malaysian authorities were reluctant to send the body to Nepal due to the ongoing investigation into the murder.

After the news coverage brought attention to the delay, Ranjana Lamsal, an advisor for the Safe Migration Center (SAMI Project), confirmed that the process to bring the body had now been expedited.

“The plane carrying Tilmaya’s body is scheduled to land at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, on Monday at 12:30 pm,” Lamsal said. “Tilmaya’s sister, Neelmaya Sarkhi, has already traveled to Kathmandu to receive the body.”

The costs associated with repatriating the body from Malaysia to Kathmandu will be borne by the Malaysian company. Lamsal added that the body would arrive in Tilmaya’s hometown in Kawasoti-4, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta West), by Monday evening. “The Foreign Employment Board will arrange the free transportation of the body from Kathmandu to her home,” Lamsal stated. “All the necessary procedures have been completed, and the body will reach home on Monday.”

Tilmaya’s elderly mother and young daughter had been suffering for months due to the prolonged delay in bringing her body back.

Despite numerous efforts, Dhanmaya had been continuously visiting the ward office and municipality for over 11 months to repatriate her daughter’s body.

According to the Malaysian Embassy, the delay was due to the ongoing investigation, as sending the body before the investigation concluded could have affected the case.

As per the rules of the Foreign Employment Board, a claim for financial assistance must be submitted within a year of the death. “The family of Tilmaya has already filed a claim for financial assistance, and the remaining paperwork will be provided along with the body,” Lamsal said.