Nepali Student Muna Pandey’s Final Rites Held in Houston Two Weeks After Her Murder; Mother Attends Funeral

Nearly two weeks after 21-year-old Nepali student Muna Pandey was shot dead in Houston, Texas, her funeral was held in the presence of her mother, Anita Pandey Adhikari. The cremation took place on Monday at 4 PM, following Hindu rituals. Mother Anita Pandey Adhikari arrived in the United States last week to attend her daughter’s final rites.

Muna Pandey’s body was discovered in her Houston apartment on August 26. The suspect, Bobby Singh Shah, has been arrested and is being prosecuted. Shah, 51, has been charged with capital murder in the 262nd State District Court.

According to prosecutors, when Shah was arrested a few days after Muna’s murder, he was wearing clothes stained with blood. Surveillance footage shows him leaving the apartment wearing the same clothing. Muna Pandey was shot three times in the body and once in the back of the head, in what prosecutors have described as an “execution-style” killing.

The capital murder charge against Bobby Singh Shah is the most severe form of homicide under Texas law, carrying a potential death penalty. Court documents state that Muna Pandey was shot dead by Bobby Singh Shah with a deadly weapon during a robbery.

Shah was apprehended during a traffic stop in Northwest Houston shortly after 8 PM on Wednesday, August 28. His arrest was the result of a coordinated effort by the Houston Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team, the Crime Reduction Unit, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. He is currently being held in the Harris County Jail.

Shah’s arrest came just hours after his photo, captured by CCTV footage, was released to the public. The footage, timestamped at 9:48 PM on Saturday, August 24, shows him in the vicinity of the crime scene. Muna Pandey was found dead by Houston police at around 5:35 PM on August 26, following a report of a body at an apartment on West Airport Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers found the 21-year-old woman deceased.

Paramedics declared her dead at the scene. Employees of the apartment complex told police they had received an anonymous call about a body inside the apartment before they contacted 911.