A 40-year-old woman from Rampurthoksila-8, Udayapur, was raped and subsequently murdered in a local forest.

The victim’s mutilated body was recovered at Kalikhola Community Forest near her residence on Sunday evening. The hearing-impaired woman had gone to the forest to collect firewood.

According to Area Police Office, Rampur, the assailants raped the victim and subsequently murdered her. The body was dumped into the stream. Police said that the

assailants bludgeoned the woman to death with stones. The victim’s head was

severely damaged.

The victim’s brother said the villagers had searched the forest as the woman did not return home till late. “Two other women from the village, who were also in the forest for collecting firewood, rushed home as an unidentified gang had tried to attack them,” he said. “Evidences found at the site suggest that the victim was raped and subsequently murdered,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Surendra Gurung.