A man, who ruthlessly murdered 12th grader Sumana Shrestha of Dharan Sub Metropolitan City on Wednesday, has been identified as 19-year-old Baburam Bhujel alias Sabin of Dhankuta Municipality-9, Dhankuta.
Bhujel, who was on the run after killing Sumana in cold blood, landed in the police net from Dhankuta on Thursday.
Arrested Bhujel was made public by organizing a press conference in Dharan a while ago. Bhujel confessed to murdering the girl, claiming that she cheated on him romantically, while giving statements to the police.
Bhujel, who was previously staying at Dharan-16, had come into contact with Sumana through Facebook two years ago and been in love affairs, according to DSP Nabin Krishna Bhandari, the incharge of the Area Police Office, Dharan.
However, Baburam’s relation with Sumana turned sour after she allegedly cheated on him by becoming closer to another boy Pradeep Shrestha, a local. After being ditched by Sumana, he was staying in his village Mulghat in Dhankuta, a place bordering Sunsari.
While they were still not in good terms, Baburam came down to Dharan on last Tuesday and met with Sumana. Lured her in with the promise of driving instructions, he then whisked her on his scooter to a secluded place between Depot High School and BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences where he murdered her by slitting her throat with a khukuri, according to Bhandari. A CCTV footage also shows them heading in that direction on a scooter.
Bhandari further shared that Baburam and Sumana had a dispute over the Facebook use around 9 pm. Enraged by Sumana's decision to allow her newly found lover Pradeep access to her Facebook, Baburam plotted her murder.
“It was found that Bhujel killed Sumana by slitting her throat with the khukuri he had carried with him,” said Bhandari, “He murdered Sumana on Tuesday night following a dispute over Facebook use, threw away the weapon and fled to his home town Mulghat, Dhankuta.”
A squad of police tracked down Bhujel based on the call records and messages on the mobile phone of Sumana and arrested him from Dhankua, police sources told Nepalkhabar.
Police had started investigations into the case after the parents of Sumana lodged an FIR at the Area Police Office, Dharan. Police had arrested a total of seven suspects in the course of investigation and released them after finding no evidence.
Sumana, 21, a resident of Dharan-16, was found with her throat slit in a secluded place between BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and Depot Secondary School in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-18 on Wednesday afternoon.
Around 2:30 pm on Wednesday, a woman saw the dead body of the girl while grazing her goats. The police reached the spot after the dead body was found lying in a ditch on the side of the road. The police said that a khukuri was also found a few meters away from the lifeless body.
Sumana, a 12th grade student in Dharan, was tragically killed by her alleged lover, 19-year-old Bhujel. Her funeral was performed as per Christian traditions last Thursday.
