Rajbiraj, Aug. 23 -- year-old girl was found dead in suspicious circumstances in Shambhunath Municipality-3 of Saptari district on Sunday, with police focusing their investigation on her stepmother.

Khushi Khatun, daughter of Mohammad Irfan, had been playing outside her home near the East-West Highway at around 9:45 am when she went missing, according to police and family members.

After relatives and locals failed to locate her, they informed the Area Police Office in Rupani. A search involving police, family members and local residents later found the girl's body lying face down in bushes behind her house.

Police sent the body for a postmortem examination.

District Police Office spokesperson Deputy Superintendent of Police Hemraj Ghi...