The DNA report of vaginal swab of Bhagrathi Bhatta of Baitadi, who was murdered after rape, has matched with that of the arrested teenager.
Spokesperson at the Far West Police Office SSP Mukesh Kumar Singh told Setopati that the report from the National Forensic Science Laboratory that arrived Thursday has showed that the DNA of vaginal swab matched with that of the accused.
The police say that the report firmly shows that the boy, who is currently at a correctional facility in Dipayal, is guilty despite the efforts of his relatives to mislead investigation by changing his statement.
The police on February 17 had made the accused public organizing a press conference.
The boy is a 11th-grader at the Sanatan Dharma Secondary School in Shreekot of Dogdakedar where the 17-year-old victim studied in the 12th grade. The boy is from Dogdakedar rural municipality 7 like Bhatta.
The accused's house is a 20-minute trek from Bhatta's house and is a distant cousin in relation. They both had to cross Lovelek Community Forest to reach the school.
He had initially told the police that he raped and killed her due to animosity.
He had followed Bhatta once she parted ways with her friends at Khochlek Bazar on February 3 and raped her in the community forest around a kilometer away from her home and immediately killed her as she knew him, according to an investigating officer.
Spokesperson of Far West Police SSP Mukesh Singh told Setopati that the boy was a lone wolf in the incident. "Our investigation has already concluded that he was the only person involved in Bhatta's murder. The arrested boy is strong and has conceded that he acted alone," SSP Singh stated. "He seems to have raped her with an intention to murder and he has said he strangulated her."
The police attributing the autopsy report by Baitadi District Hospital have said strangulation after rape was the cause of death.
He was in the list of suspects and was under police surveillance right from the beginning. He had been regularly going to school after the incident and would even participate in the rallies organized to demand justice for Bhatta. "But he would be scared while seeing police. He has been arrested from his house Tuesday," the investigating officer said.
The officer added that the boy felt that he wound not be suspected if he were to go to school regularly after the incident and participate in the rallies demanding justice for her.
Bhatta had gone missing while returning home from Sanatan Dharma Secondary School February 3 afternoon. The 12th grader had to cross Lovelek Community Forest to return home. Her body was found by students in a gorge in the middle of the forest at around 4 pm the next day with her shirt torn off and her pants pulled down below the knee, and teeth marks all over the body.
