RAUTAHAT, OCTOBER 15

Police have detained a person in connection with the rape and murder of a minor girl in Rautahat.

The 14-year-old girl of Samanpur in Gadhimai Municipality had been staying at her maternal uncle’s house in Brindaban Municipality since childhood. She had set out from home at about 09:00am to collect fodder for cattle on October 2.

Local Chunnu Sah Teli, 45, had sweet-talked the girl and abused her in a sugarcane field. After the girl passed out, Teli, fearing the girl would tell on him, had strangled her to death and fled.

Police had started an investigation into the incident after a boy spotted the half-naked body in a sugarcane field and informed locals. Police investigating the incident had arrested Teli from his hideout in Garuda Municipality on October 8.

According to SP Siddhibikram Shah of Rautahat, Teli admitted he strangled the girl to death after she passed out while he was raping her. “After his confession, we carried out further investigation by getting a 15-day remand from the court,” said SP Shah.