MAHOTTARI, Oct 23: A man accused of raping and murdering an eight-month-old child in Mahottari district around two months ago has finally been arrested last week. 

On August 26, Sonali Chaudhary, an eight-month-old daughter of Santosh Chaudhary of Aurahi Municipality-1, Mahottari was playing with her mother in their shop at Aurahi Bazaar. Suddenly, an unidentified person posing as customer had stolen the child from the shop when the mother was busy.

The child’s body was found the next day at a mango orchard near Ankushi River in Bhangaha.  A post mortem confirmed that she was raped and murdered.

A police team from Bhantabari of Sunsari led by Assistant Inspector Awadhlal Sah Sonar arrested a 25-year-old man of Bhangaha Sitapur-6 last week on the charge of raping and murdering the child. The team then sent the suspect’s photograph to the District Police Office, Mahottari, which on the basis of the CCTV footage from the shop, confirmed that the detained man was the suspect.

The man was in an inebriated state when he was arrested from Koshi Rural Municipality-8 of Sunsari. Police also recovered three Indian SIM cards from him. The suspect has been currently kept at the District Police Office (DPO), Mahottari. Superintendent (SP) of the DPO Ishwar Karki informed that the suspect has been charged with abduction, rape and murder.

According to police, the suspect has already confessed to the rape and murder. The man also said that he committed the crime under the influence of alcohol, according to police. Police said he had fled to Sitamadhi, India after committing the crime and he stated that he did so under the influence of alcohol. 

 
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