Sarala Thapa of Nuwakot, a class-12 student of NR College at Nepaltar who also used to work at a garment factory at Samakhusi to help pay for her studies, had left home on December 15 telling the family that she had to attend a friend’s birthday party. “She has not returned ever since leaving home around 8 AM,” police quoted family members as saying. [break]
Her brother, sister and the latter’s husband identified her body Tuesday afternoon at the spot where it was found. The body was wrapped in a white sack that locals happened to identify and they informed police early in the morning. The body seems to have three deep cuts to the head, with signs of strangulation.
A SIM-card was found in a handbag inside the sack, and it is helping to unravel the mystery.
The SIM-card was Thapa’s and contained a saved SMS. The SMS reads: “Mero gharma aaudai ho (are u coming to my place), I love you.”
The SMS came from a mobile belonging to a person from Mahottari who was arrested Tuesday afternoon but the identity has not been disclosed by police because of the sensitivity of the investigation.The person was known by Thapa’s friends as having close liaison with co-workers at the garment outfit.
Police also arrested a girl and two other men including an Indian on the basis of calls recorded on the mobile phone.
“We are more or less certain how the incident could have taken place,” said an official involved in investigations.
The person whose mobile was apparently used to send the SMS has not taken responsibility for the text message.
“He has claimed that he is illiterate and cannot send texts via cell phone,” officials said.
Investigative officials said she could not have been dead more than a day. “This is very definitely a murder case, but we also see the possibility of other circumstances,” said one official.
The handbag found with the body had a college identity card with the name ‘Anjali Neupane’ but the photo is that of Thapa herself.
“The college management identified her as Anjali Neupane. We don’t know why she used different names at college and her workplace,” officials said.
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