Nagaland Police solve murder of basketball player, prime accused victim's uncle arrested

Kohima, Nov 5 (PTI) Nagaland Police has cracked the murder of 22-year-old state-level basketball player Vihozhonu Zao, whose death on October 25 shocked the state capital.

The prime accused, identified as Samuel Zao (31), the victim’s adopted paternal uncle, has confessed to the crime, Kohima SP Krodi Rhetso said during a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said Zao was arrested on Tuesday.

The incident came to light on October 25 when the body of the victim was found under suspicious circumstances outside her house in Old Minister’s Hill here.

A team from South Police Station secured the scene and initiated investigation procedures, with assistance from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Dimapur, said Rhetso.

Following a complaint by another uncle of the victim, Vekethozo Zao, a case was registered at Kohima Women police station, he said.

Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on October 26, headed by Additional Superintendent of Police K. Soriso.

Terming it a "blind case," police said the crime scene was suspected to be a secondary site, making it difficult to establish a clear motive or sequence of events.

However, through sustained and meticulous investigation, the SIT identified the accused and brought him in for questioning.

During interrogation, Samuel Zao confessed to killing his niece in a fit of rage, police said, adding that the accused admitted that he had asked the victim to make tea around 2 pm, but she was preoccupied with her phone and responded dismissively, police said.

Enraged, he struck her on the head with a piece of firewood, causing her to collapse, Rhetso said, adding that the accused then covered the victim’s head with a sweater, switched off her phone, removed the SIM card, broke the handset, and disposed of the parts in a garbage truck the next morning.

He later hid the body in his room before dumping it near a ring well in the basement of the house, Rhetso said. PTI NBS NBS MNB