Rajbiraj, February 16

An 11-year-old girl was raped and subsequently murdered at Lalpatti of Khadak Municiplaity-9 in Saptari district.

Police made the incident public at a press meet organised by District Police Office, Saptari, today. Superintendent of Police Mukesh Singh said Rajdev Mandal, 18, of the same place had raped his uncle’s daughter Parbati Kumari and killed her.

SP Singh said that it took time to investigate and collect evidences as relatives tried to cover up the incident, which took place last Monday.

According to police, Mandal had raped the minor girl while the latter was sleeping in her room. “Mandal admitted to killing the girl by strangulating her throat,” SP Singh said.

An hour after the incident, the girl’s mother arrived home and rushed the girl to a private hospital in Lahan where doctors pronounced her dead. The hospital had reported to the police that the girl was raped.

Relatives of the deceased tried to cover up the incident, saying the minor died after she was taken ill. Police, however, arrested Mandal two days later on the basis of medical reports.

SP Singh said they were preparing to file an incest case against Mandal.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy was arrested on the charge of raping a two-year-old girl from Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality in the district yesterday evening. The victim is undergoing treatment at local Gajendra Narayan Singh Sagarmatha Hospital.