Nagaland Kohima Police arrest victim’s Uncle for Oct 25 murder

In a major breakthrough, Kohima Police have arrested the accused in the gruesome murder of 22-year-old Vihozhonu Zao, whose body was recovered in Kohima on October 25, 2025.
Police identified the prime suspect as one Samuel Zao (31), reportedly the victim’s uncle, son of Holto Zao of Jakhama village under Khuzama Police Station and a resident of Old Ministers’ Hill, Kohima. Police said that following intense interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime.
Addressing the media at the SP office on Wednesday, SP Kohima Krodi Rhetso said Kohima woke up to the shocking news of the murder on the morning of October 25. The victim, daughter of Lt. Keneithuto Zao of Jakhama, was found dead under mysterious circumstances.
Upon receiving the report, a duty team from South Police Station proceeded to the site to secure the area and initiate preliminary investigation.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Dimapur, arrived at 2:05 p.m. and conducted photography, videography and collected physical evidence. A detection dog was also deployed. An inquest was conducted in the presence of independent witnesses and a post-mortem was carried out at NHAK.
Following submission of a written FIR by the victim’s paternal uncle, Vekethozo Zao, a case was registered at Kohima Women Police Station, and endorsed to UBSI Hili Kath Metsieo. Given the sensitivity of the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on October 26 under Additional SP Kohima K. Soriso with eight members.
Rhetso described the case as an “extraordinary challenge”, noting it began as a blind case with the crime scene suspected to be a secondary site.
Despite limited clues, the SIT pursued all leads, eventually identifying Samuel Zao as the prime suspect.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to killing his niece. According to his statement, on October 25 around 2 p.m., Samuel asked Vihozhonu to prepare tea. When she did not respond and was engaged with her mobile phone, he allegedly became enraged and struck her on the head with a piece of firewood.
He then covered her head with a sweater to stop the bleeding, switched off her phone, removed the SIM card and destroyed the handset before disposing of it in a KMC dumping truck the next morning.
The sweater was allegedly thrown into a nearby gutter. Samuel reportedly kept the body in his room before disposing it near a ring well in the basement.
The post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as head trauma from a blunt object, resulting in multiple skull fractures.
Responding to media queries, police said no evidence of sexual assault had been found so far. The murder is believed to have occurred around 2 p.m. on October 24. Police also highlighted delays due to Nagaland having only one FSL, located in Dimapur. The government, officials said, has taken note of the issue.
The SP said investigation is ongoing and a chargesheet will be filed once all procedures are completed. He added that police are aware of the increasing number of disturbing incidents and are taking proactive measures to prevent such crimes.
Describing the breakthrough as a testament to the dedication and teamwork of the investigating officers, the department stated that the relentless pursuit of truth by the SIT had brought closure to a case that began with no clear leads. Kohima Police also expressed appreciation to the public for their cooperation, saying it enabled the team to investigate without external pressure.
In a social media post titled “Justice for Vihozhonu Zao”, Kohima Police reaffirmed their commitment to justice and appealed to citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to ensure safety and security.