Dhanusha police arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the rape and murder of 11-year-old Reshma (Dutiya) Rasaili at Mithila Municipality-3 in the district on Wednesday night.

In a press meet on Tuesday, police made public Niraj Jargha Magar who allegedly raped and murdered the minor. According to Superintendent of Police Shekhar Kharel, a joint team of the District Police Office and Provincial Police Office nabbed the suspect from Duhabi in Bideha Municipality-2, Dhanusha, on Sunday. He was detained while attempting to flee to India.

The charred body of Reshma was found in a sugarcane field near her residence on Thursday morning. She had gone to attend a wedding function of a local woman the previous day.

Police investigation showed that Niraj had lured the minor by offering her a packet of noodles and juice, took her to the sugarcane field and raped her. SP Kharel said the culprit raped and murdered the victim before burning her body using dry leaves of sugarcanes.

Police claimed that Niraj, who was staying with his uncle in Bateshwor Rural Municipality-4, is a drug user and is involved in various criminal activities in the area. “Niraj often consumes alcohol and uses

drugs. He raped and murdered the victim and burnt the body to destroy his fingerprints on the body,” said SP Kharel.