Biratnagar, February 3

Morang police today made public two persons arrested on the charge of raping and subsequently killing 10-year-old Rupmati Das of Baluwahi in Biratnagar Metropolitan City.

Organising a press meet on the premises of Morang District Police Office today, police made public Abbas Ansari, 25, and Chandu Mahata, 19. Both of them are Rupmati’s neighbours.

Suspecting their involvement in the rape and murder of 10-year-old Das, police had arrested them two days later.

Das, who went to watch TV at her neighbour’s house on Saturday night, was found half-naked and dead on the banks of Singhiya khola the next day.

Police said Mahata and Ansari had admitted that they had raped and murdered Rupmati when they were high on drugs.

Police investigation showed that Ansari had gone to Jogbani in India and consumed five tablets of nitros after a telephonic dispute with his wife last Saturday, according to Superintendent of Police Manoj KC.

Ansari’s wife has been living at her parents’ home for the past three months.

After returning from Jogbani, Ansari had hatched a plan to feed the tablet to a woman of his neighbourhood by hiding it in a loaf of bread. “After the woman refused to eat the bread, his plan failed,” said SP KC.

Meanwhile, Ansari happened to meet Mahata and the duo took Rupmati away while  she was walking down the same road.

Both have admitted to raping and murdering Rupmati when she came out of her home to watch television at her neighbour’s house, said KC.

Police have collected additional evidences and initiated action against the culprits, SP KC added.