Two Dalit sisters allegedly gang-raped, hanged from tree in Uttar Pradesh village

Badaun, UP: Two teenage Dalit girls were allegedly gang-raped and later hanged from a tree in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district on Wednesday.

The two girls, who were cousins aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on Tuesday night. Their bodies were found hanging from a tree in Katra village in Ushait area on Wednesday morning.

The incident triggered protests in the area with villagers alleging police apathy following which an FIR was registered against seven persons including constables Sarvesh Yadav and Rakshapal Yadav, who were suspended.

One of the accused Pappu Yadav has been arrested while others are still absconding, Superintendent of Police, City, Man Singh Chauhan said.

As soon as the news spread, villagers gathered at the site and claimed that police had refused to register an FIR on Tuesday night. They alleged that the girls were gang-raped before they were hanged by the attackers.

Villagers blocked the Ushait-Lilawan road, where they kept the bodies, and demanded suspension of all the policemen posted in Ushait police station.

Later, police controlled the situation and convinced the villagers to lift the blockade.

Two other accused are Brijesh and Awadhesh while two others are unidentified, SP Chauhan said.

Police are awaiting the postmortem report of the two girls.

The National Commission of Women has taken suo moto cognisance of the alleged gangrape and murder of two teenaged Dalit sisters.

"We have taken suo moto cognisance of the gangrape. An enquiry committee has been set up and will be sent there for further investigations into the case.

"We are waiting the Action Taken report and only after that we can see what needs to be done. Right now we have no information about any arrests made in the case," National Commission for Women Chairperson Mamata Sharma told PTI.

Describing the case as "gruesome", she said strict action would be taken based on the inquiry.

She said an enquiry committee will be sent in a day or two to look into the matter.