Police have begun forensic testing on four teenage suspects arrested in connection with the death of 16-year-old Inisha BK in Surkhet, as investigators attempt to determine their involvement in the case.
According to officials from the District Police Office in Surkhet, polygraph examinations of the suspects started on Friday. The tests will continue after the weekend as investigators carry out further questioning and technical assessments.
Blood samples from all four suspects have also been sent to the Nepal Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, for DNA testing. Investigators have also delivered swab samples taken from the victim during the post-mortem examination. Police say the forensic results will play an important role in clarifying who was involved in the incident.
Authorities believe the technical examinations, along with statements from the suspects, will help establish the sequence of events and confirm the individuals responsible.
Inisha BK, a resident of Birendranagar–1 in Surkhet originally from Gurbhakot Municipality–6, was found unconscious inside a community forest area in Birendranagar–4 on February 23. She was immediately taken to the provincial hospital in Kalagaun, where doctors pronounced her dead.
A post-mortem examination has already confirmed that she died due to excessive bleeding caused by severe injuries to her genital area.
Police first arrested a 16-year-old suspect on the day of the incident. The following day, after the victim’s family filed a complaint alleging gang rape, three additional suspects aged 15, 16, and 17 were taken into custody.
Investigators say they have largely identified those believed to be involved but are waiting for the forensic reports and additional technical evidence before confirming further details of the case.