BHAIRAHAWA, March 7: It has been revealed that a 12-year-old girl of Kotimai Rural Municipality in Rupandehi who was found dead in a field a month ago was killed after rape.

On February 5, the 12-year-old girl of Kotimai-3 was found dead hanging by her own shawl in a field nearby her house. According to police, the minor was raped by Sandip Kumar Dhobi, 22, a local of the same village while she was out for collecting fodder. The victim had left her home at around 4 pm that day. As she didn't return home till late night, her family went searching for her and later found her dead in the field. The family members informed the police immediately about the incident.

Dhobi had raped the little girl after persuading her friends to go home saying it was late, according to police. As stated by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dillinarayan Pandey of District Police Office, Rupandehi, Dhobi must have killed the girl due to the fear being unmasked for rape.  DSP Pandey further informed that Dhobi has been jailed on charge of rape and murder. 

Locals had also accused Dhobi of sexually assaulting a minor few months ago. However, the case was settled within the village as the victim's family was told that the incident may harm their prestige. Not just that, he was often found harassing girls of neighboring villages but still the locals ignored him. No one tried to file a complaint against him at police station. This had further encouraged him to continue with similar crimes.
  
 
   

 
• minor
 
• killed
 
• rape
 
• rupandehi