Police arrested 37-year-old Ramchandra Dangi of Hima Rural Municipality-3, Jumla, on October 21, on the charge of killing a 16-year-old girl Babita Rokaya of the same village. The dead body of Babita was found in the bank of Hima River at Hima Rural Municipality-1, Pagarpali, Jumla,  on October 17.

The victim’s side registered a complaint against 19-year-old Kar Bahadur Bhandari along with Dangi of Mofla village of Hima Rural Municipality-3. According to police, the main accused Bhandari is still absconding.

Police suspected it as murder as a rope was tied around her neck. Babita disappeared from her home on October 5. A week after the victim’s disappearance,  police found her clothes on a hill above Mofla village.

Police conducted a postmortem of the victim at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Jumla, on October 17. During the postmortem, a three-month-old baby was also found in the victim’s womb. 

Police are preparing to send the collected samples at Police Science Laboratory, Kathmandu for DNA and VCR testing.