DHANGADHI, FEBRUARY 6

Although police have intensified investigation into the suspected murder of the teenage girl -- who it is suspected was sexually assaulted prior to being killed -- any clues leading to her culprit(s) are yet to be found. The 17-year-old girl from Dogada Kedar Rural Municipality of Baitadi, who had gone missing, was found dead on Thursday.

Despite the case being extensively probed, police have not yet identified those responsible for the murder of the teenage girl.

High ranking police officials, trained sniffing dogs, and a technical team have been deployed to hasten the investigation, District Police Office Chief, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Narayan Prasad Adhikari said. 'The incident site has been sealed for investigation,' DSP Adhikari informed.

On Wednesday, the girl had left for school. She was a grade 12 student at Sanatan Dharma School in the rural municipality. When she did not return home that day, a search was carried out and she was found lifeless in a community forest nearby on the following day. The locals who spotted her body had informed the police.

As her body was recovered in a severe condition, the girl's kin think that it is a case of rape followed by murder. However, according to police, whether or not the girl was sexually assaulted can only be confirmed after they receive her autopsy report.

Six persons who had been taken into police custody for questioning into the matter have been released. According to spokesperson of Sudurpaschim Police, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mukesh Kumar Singh, persons who could be related to the incident are being investigated. However, preliminary investigation has not led to any conclusion, stated SSP Singh.

Meanwhile, issuing a press release, Nepal Communist Party (NCP) co-chairs Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal have demanded immediate attention of the government for legal intervention into the case.

The incident has led to widespread rage amongst locals in the area, to express which they have resorted to protests demanding legal action against the culprit(s) involved in the heinous crime.

Photos by Tekendra Deuba for The Himalayan Times -