Nepal Police have arrested two men for allegedly removing an earring from the body of a flood victim, angering the city as rescue and recovery work continues to go on after the country’s worst floods in years. They were detained after videos on the internet appeared to show the men taking jewelry from a deceased person amid debris left behind by the flooding.
The accused have been identified as 25-year-old Madan Gurung and 38-year-old Umesh Chaudhary. According to the information available, the incident happened near Bharatpur in Chitwan district where flood debris had accumulated after the Bhotekoshi River disaster. The two men approached a body and removed an earring before leaving the area, Mr. Gurung said in an interview.
The arrests have added another disturbing dimension to an already devastating disaster. Flooding and related incidents along the Bhotekoshi River have so far claimed at least 350 lives as of August 26, and hundreds of people are missing. Rescue teams and authorities are still searching for the bodies in the affected areas and recovering bodies, in the difficult conditions.
Police said the conduct was inhumane and that victims of natural disasters should be treated with dignity and respect, even after death. Police traced Gurung and Chaudhary and arrested them near Pokhara Bus Park as part of the investigation into the incident.
Online, people have been overwhelmingly angry that individuals may have exploited disaster victims’ bodies for their own gain. Social media users called the alleged act particularly disturbing since families are searching for missing relatives and communities are grieving for loved ones.
The recovery of victims by families affected by the floods is an extremely sensitive process. Finding bodies and returning them to family members can help families begin a grieving process and cope with their losses. Any alleged tampering with bodies or personal belongings can only add to the pain in an already very traumatic situation.
Nepal Police have said they will take a zero-tolerance approach to theft and mistreatment of disaster victims. But the arrests also raise the issue that emergency conditions do not mean that personal property and human dignity are jeopardized and that a law protecting them will be violated if they are not protected.
The disaster has been an enormous burden on rescue and relief agencies. There are so many people reported missing and search and recovery for bodies and the location of relatives are the work of the authorities. Floodwater, debris and damaged infrastructure make it an especially difficult task.
Following Nepal’s devastating flood disaster, looters were caught on camera stealing gold from the bodies of victims. pic.twitter.com/SPzxjVXXpm
— Benjamin 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@BProudPatriot) August 28, 2026
The earring theft has therefore resonated far beyond the immediate criminal investigation. Just as communities are depending on volunteers, rescuers and ordinary citizens to help each other, exploitation of victims could destroy public confidence and make the grief all the more unbearable.
Authorities are looking into the video and the alleged actions of the two arrested men, the official said. The incident also underscores the need to take care of the bodies that are discovered as well as the security of the areas where bodies are recovered in disasters when property and personal possessions are vulnerable to theft.
In Nepal, the rescue and recovery process still looks for those people who are missing, to identify victims and to help families of the victims. The arrests are a reminder from authorities that even in the midst of a natural disaster, respect for victims and accountability for alleged wrongdoing must remain a priority.
