The District Police Office, Siraha arrested a 13-year-old boy on March 5 on charges of abducting, holding hostage, raping, and killing a 17-year-old girl. The accused, along with 18-year-old Chandan Shah and 18-year-old Rambinay Mandal from Nawarajpur Rural Municipality-1, allegedly abducted the girl on the night of February 9, 2025, while she was going to the toilet. They held her hostage, gang-raped her, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone, as reported by the girl’s mother. At the time of the incident, the victim’s father was in Punjab, India, for work, leaving the victim and her mother alone at home. When the victim’s mother informed some members of the Rural Municipality about the incident, they suggested organizing a panchayat meeting. They attempted to resolve the matter by offering Rs. 140,000 as compensation to the victim’s family.
The victim’s mother explained that on the evening of February 12, after receiving a call from her husband, she left her daughter alone at home and went to make the call. When she returned, the door was closed. She called out to her daughter but received no response. Upon entering the house, she found her daughter hanging. The victim’s mother alleges that the girl did not commit suicide but was killed and hung by the accused. A complaint was filed against the accused at the Area Police Office in Lahan on February 20, 2025. According to DSP Birendra Kumar Paswan from the District Police Office in Siraha, those proposing a panchayat attempted to mediate by offering compensation to the victim’s family to cover up the incident. DSP Paswan further stated that a complaint has been registered against the panchayat members for attempting to resolve the matter through a financial settlement. Furthermore, they have initiated the investigations against the main accused on charges of abduction, confinement, rape, and killing.
DSP Paswan informed that three panchayat members were arrested on February 23 in connection with the incident. He added that the juvenile accused was arrested based on a reliable source, and a two-day extension for investigation was granted. Other accused individuals are currently absconding, and the search is ongoing.