Patna, Dec 31 (IANS): The police in Bihar's Nawada on Saturday cracked a case of gang-rape and murder of an elderly woman with the arrest of four persons.

The arrested persons have been identified as Sunil Yadav, Vipin Yadav, Pintu Yadav and Niranjan Yadav. A fifth accused, Karu Yadav, is still at large.

The accused allegedly gang-raped a 60-year-old woman before chopping her breasts and slitting her throat. The incident took place on December 25.

“The victim was a resident of Jahana village in Gaya district. She had come to meet her relative in Nawada along with her husband. After they reached Nawada by train on December 25, her husband had gone to a nearby shop to recharge his mobile phone as she waited on the road.

"As a funeral procession was underway at the same time, a large number of people had gathered on the road. As per the husband's statement, he couldn't find her after returning from the shop,” said Ajay Prasad, SDPO Sadar, Nawada.

“The police found her mutilated body on December 26 from the Kharidi Bigha area. After scanning CCTV footage from the area, we traced one of the accused, Sunil Yadav,” Prasad said.

“During interrogation, it was found that Sunil Yadav lured the victim and took her for a ride on an e-rickshaw around the town during which four of his friends also joined him. They took the woman to an isolated place and gang-raped her. After committing the crime, they slit her throat and chopped her breasts. They then dumped the dead body in a drain,” Prasad said.