Uncle Arrested for Rape and Murder of 7-Year-Old Niece in Morang

Police in Morang have arrested a 22-year-old man, Anish Sardar, for the rape and murder of his 7-year-old niece, Aattika Sardar. Aattika’s body was found on Saturday morning near Durga Basic School, about 100 meters from her home in Dhanpalathan Rural Municipality-5.

According to District Police Office Morang spokesperson DSP Kopila Chudal, Anish Sardar, Aattika’s youngest paternal uncle, was identified as a suspect during the investigation. Initially, he denied his involvement but later confessed to the crime. Anish has been charged with manslaughter and incest, and further investigation is underway.

How the Horrific Incident Unfolded

Aattika’s parents are construction workers who travel daily to Biratnagar for work. They would leave their children with their grandmother and uncle. On Friday, after returning from work, Aattika’s father went to India for religious purposes, and her mother went to her parents’ house. Aattika and her two siblings stayed with their grandmother.

Police say Aattika’s grandmother runs a liquor shop. On Friday evening, she asked her youngest son, Anish, to put the grandchildren to sleep. After dinner, Anish took his nephew and nieces to bed.

According to police sources, Anish, who had been drinking on Friday evening, stayed up late on his phone after the children fell asleep. He was reportedly watching inappropriate videos until late at night. Police found that he regularly watched such videos, including right before the incident.

Police believe that after watching the videos, Anish took his sleeping niece outside and sexually assaulted her. Around midnight or 1 AM, when Aattika screamed during the assault, Anish covered her mouth. When she resisted, he strangled her, silencing her and killing her out of fear of being exposed. Police also noted scratch marks on Anish’s body, likely from the victim’s struggle.

Confession and Ongoing Investigation

After the murder, Anish carried Aattika’s body to the side of the road between 2 AM and 3 AM. He then returned home and washed the clothes he was wearing.

In the morning, when the grandmother checked, Aattika was not in the house. The news of the missing girl spread in the village. When asked, Anish suggested she might have been “stolen.” During the search, Aattika’s body was found around 4:30 AM on Sunday, about 100 meters from her home.

Police stated that Anish initially denied the murder. However, due to the lack of other suspects, police focused on him. Although villagers were initially skeptical of their suspicion against a family member, police continued to question Anish.

“During questioning, he kept changing his story. Sometimes he cried and said he made a mistake, other times he claimed someone else killed her,” a police source said. “He even made up a story about how the killer might have raped, murdered, and then washed their clothes. But as the investigation continued, his own story matched his actions.”

On Sunday morning, Anish confessed to his involvement, shedding tears of regret. While some family members are finding it hard to accept, police have concluded that Anish sexually assaulted his niece and then killed her to cover up the crime.

“The initial investigation and evidence point to the uncle’s involvement, and further investigation is ongoing,” said DSP Chudal. “The girl’s face, neck, and other parts of her body have injuries. Anish himself is now mentally distressed and admitting his mistake.”