Police have arrested a teenager in connection to the rape and murder case of a 17-year-old girl in Baitadi.

According to the police, the suspect is a student of Sanatan Dharma Secondary School in Khochlek, Ward No. 3 of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality where the victim was studying. He is also the neighbour of the victim.

District Police Chief Deputy Superintendent Narayan Prasad Adhikari informed that the police will make public the arrested individual during a press conference later today.

“We will hold a press conference soon to release the details of the suspect,” said Adhikari.

According to the police, the accused has confessed to committing rape and murder of the 12th grader while she was returning from school.

The victim had gone to school on February 3 but never returned home. A day later, her body was discovered in a forest at Chadepani of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-7, Baitadi.

On February 9, the post-mortem report was submitted to the police. Based on the report, the police had concluded that someone had raped her before she was murdered.