Kohima: Nagaland Police have successfully solved the murder of 22-year-old state-level basketball player Vihozhonu Zao, whose tragic death on October 25 sent shockwaves through Kohima. The prime accused, identified as her adopted paternal uncle, 31-year-old Samuel Zac, has confessed to committing the crime, Kohima Superintendent of Police Krodi Rhetso confirmed during a press conference on Wednesday.
Zac was apprehended on Tuesday following a swift and thorough investigation led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed on October 26 under the supervision of Additional SP K. Sarisa. The case first came to light when Vihozhonu’s body was discovered under suspicious circumstances outside her residence at Old Minister’s Hill in Kohima.
According to SP Rhetso, the investigation established that the murder took place inside the house, while the location where the body was found served as a secondary crime scene. Police revealed that the motive behind the murder appeared to be a sudden burst of anger.
During interrogation, Zac confessed to killing his niece after she allegedly gave a dismissive response when he asked her to make tea around 2 p.m. on the day of the incident. In a fit of rage, he struck her on the head with a piece of firewood, causing her to collapse. He then covered her head with a sweater, switched off her phone, removed the SIM card, broke the handset, and disposed of its parts in a garbage truck the next morning.
Investigators said the accused initially hid the victim’s body in his room before dumping it near a ring well in the basement of the house. Police have confirmed that further investigation is ongoing to gather additional evidence and complete the case proceedings.
