Darjeeling, Jan. 25: The Noida district magistrate (DM) has sought confirmation from the Darjeeling district administration as to who was the legal custodian of Nisha Lepcha, a 11-year-old girl from Manaydhara, Takdha, whose body has been identified as one of the children killed in the Nithari mass murders.

“Ajay Chauhan, the DM of Noida, wanted information about Nisha’s custodian. They want to know whether James, the relative who had taken Nisha to Noida, was the legal custodian or not,” said Rajesh Pandey, district magistrate, Darjeeling.

Nisha left for Noida with one of her relatives, Shantu Thapa, and her husband James, in April, last year. With Nisha’s parents, Dhan Lakhi and Dhendup, staying separately, Shantu took Nisha along with her, hoping to get her a job, which would take care of her, a source said. Just a few months later, in July, Nisha reportedly went missing.

When skeletons were dug up from around the Noida house of Moninder Singh Pandher, the prime accused in the Nithari case, James reportedly identified the remains of Nisha. Following the identification, the Noida officials have sought information about her legal custodian for the sanction of compensation.

Since Nisha and her four-year-old brother, Nitesh, stayed with their mother Dhan Lakhi, before leaving for Noida, she has been identified as the legal custodian, a Darjeeling administrative official said.

Once the report reaches Chauhan’s office, Dhan Lakhi, who is a farmer by profession, might get a compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as promised by Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. It is, however, not clear whether James has already applied for compensation at the Noida district magistrate’s office or not, a source said.

A sub-inspector from Noida has come to Darjeeling to expedite the matter. The official, along with district administrators, today visited Manaydhara and collected Nisha’s birth and residential certificates from the gram panchayat office.