The postmortem report of a teenage girl who was raped in Surkhet has revealed that her death was caused by excessive bleeding.
On Saturday (March 7/), the 16-year-old was found unconscious in the Janajagaran Community Forest in Birendranagar Municipality-4. She was rushed to Karnali Provincial Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohan Jung Budhathapa of the District Police Office, Surkhet, said that the autopsy conducted at the same hospital found injuries to the girl’s genitals. According to him, the report indicates that the injuries sustained during the rape led to excessive bleeding, which ultimately caused her death.
Forensic expert Dr Arbin Shakya was brought in from Bheri Hospital in Banke to assist the medical team at Karnali Hospital with the autopsy. The team submitted the postmortem report to the police on Wednesday.
"The postmortem report states that injuries to the girl’s sensitive organs caused excessive bleeding, leading to her death," DSP Budhathapa said.
Police have taken four individuals into custody and launched an investigation after a complaint was filed against them by the victim’s family.
On Sunday, the Surkhet District Court granted a six-day remand to investigate charges of rape and culpable homicide. As the initial remand period ends, they are being presented in court again on Thursday.
The incident has sparked protests in both Surkhet and Kathmandu, with demonstrators demanding justice.
According to police, the girl, an 11th-grade student, had left her home at 8 a.m. on March 7 for a morning walk. She reportedly met a youth in the Janajagaran Community Forest, who is accused of raping her. Police investigations revealed that she sustained severe internal injuries during the assault.
The accused youth reportedly told police in his statement that he called his friends after the girl began bleeding excessively. Police are currently verifying this claim through technical evidence.
Police were alerted after the girl was found unconscious.
On Wednesday, the victim’s family and supporters protested in Birendranagar demanding an impartial investigation, and a memorandum was submitted to the chief district officer.
The family has refused to collect the body from the hospital until a fair investigation is guaranteed. The body has remained at the hospital for five days.
