Two Girls Found Dead Nude in Morang: Police Face Challenges in Identification and Investigation

On June 13, the body of a young girl was found naked in bushes near the Sunsari-Morang Irrigation Project canal. Her clothes were placed beside the body, which was already starting to decompose and had insects on it. Local residents discovered the body after noticing a foul smell.

The girl was estimated to be 14-15 years old, but no identifying documents were found. Efforts to find her identity using the clothes and slippers found next to the body were unsuccessful, and no one came forward. There was also no missing person report for a girl of that description at the police station. After four months without an identity, police declared the body unclaimed and sent a letter to the Biratnagar Metropolitan City to arrange for the funeral. Police now suspect she may not be Nepali. They sent details to India, suspecting she might be Indian.

On the evening of October 8, 13-year-old Anshu Gautam from Letang Municipality-2, Morang, went missing from a swinging spot near her home. Eighteen days later, on October 24, her body was found mutilated inside the Belbari-Chisang community forest. The body was identified based on the slippers and clothes found at the scene, though the body was found separated from the head and without clothing.

Despite using all investigative methods, the police have not been able to reach the person involved in the incident. Recently, the police have been focusing on polygraph testing. Anshu’s family has refused to take her body from the hospital until the killer is arrested.

In an interval of three months, the bodies of two girls were found naked. The identity of one remains unknown, and in the other case, the police have not been able to find the accused. The nature of the bodies found in two different locations on different dates appears similar.

The preliminary conclusion of the police investigation is that the two girls found dead and naked in Budhiganga and Letang were murdered after being raped. The nature of the crime scenes also suggests this. However, medical reports could not confirm if rape occurred in either case because both bodies were highly decayed and infested with insects. According to Morang Police Spokesperson DSP Kopila Chudal, a medical report of a highly decomposed body cannot confirm whether rape occurred. In such cases, police must gather the accused’s statement and other evidence.

She stated that the search for those involved in Anshu’s murder in Letang is ongoing. “We are using all methods of investigation,” she said, adding, “We have not reached a conclusion yet; the investigation is still active.” Police say the investigation is complicated because the girl did not use a mobile phone. Multiple police teams (CIB, Province, and District) are jointly conducting the investigation.

The police, while searching for Anshu’s killer, have paused the investigation into the murder of the girl found in Budhiganga. Police have concluded that the girl found dead by the canal may not be Nepali. “We sent out descriptions to all districts and searched. There was no report of a missing girl at that time,” she said. “We have also contacted the Indian side on suspicion that the girl might be Indian.” The dark-complexioned girl was found wearing only an inner garment on her upper body, with her clothes, slippers, and a hairpin found right beside the body.

The body of the teenager from Letang is still at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan. Her relatives are insisting that they will not accept the body until the person involved in the murder is arrested.