Two weeks after the crime that shocked Kohima, police say a moment of anger turned deadly – but questions remain as the investigation continues.
What began as an ordinary afternoon in Kohima on October 24 ended in tragedy. Twenty-two-year-old Vihozhonu Zao was found dead the next morning inside her family home – a murder that police now say was committed by her paternal uncle, 31-year-old Samuel Zao, in a sudden fit of anger over a cup of tea.
For nearly two weeks, the case remained a mystery that unsettled the city. A nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Additional SP (Kohima) K Soriso Quinker was constituted on October 26 to probe what was then described as a “blind” case. After days of sustained questioning and forensic work, the accused confessed to the crime on November 4.
During a press conference on Wednesday, SP Kohima Khrodi Rhetso said that the accused – who had been adopted into the family by one of the victim’s aunts – admitted to striking his niece with a piece of firewood after she did not respond when asked to make tea. The blow caused a severe head injury, and according to his statement, he later covered her head with a sweater, leading to suffocation.
The post-mortem report confirmed injuries consistent with a blunt object but ruled out strangulation or sexual assault.
After the assault, police said, the accused attempted to conceal the crime – removing the SIM card from the victim’s phone, smashing the device, and disposing of it along with blood-stained items in nearby drains and waste bins.
The next morning, on October 25 at around 7:45 a.m., police were informed of the incident and reached the scene shortly after 8:20 a.m. Forensic samples collected from the scene have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Guwahati, and results are awaited.
Police said the accused’s arrest was the result of “painstaking investigation and coordination” by the SIT. “The investigation is not over yet. We assure the public that no stone will be left unturned,” the SP told community members who gathered at North Police Station on November 5 seeking updates on the case.
