Lucknow, 29 February: Late Wednesday, the bodies of two girls, ages 16 and 14, were discovered hanging from a tree in Kotwali village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district. They were reportedly forced to drink liquor before being sexually attacked by the 18-year-old son and 19-year-old nephew of a local contractor.
The victims have been sent for post-mortem, and the suspects, including the contractor, have been apprehended.
According to the authorities, they might face prosecution for gang rape, abetment of suicide, and violations of the POCSO Act. “Last night, information about the remains of two females was obtained. The bodies were found and submitted for postmortem examination. Harish Chander, Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order), announced that three other suspects, who are distant relatives of the victims, had been apprehended.
According to reports, the girls were beaten and, based on certain footage, sexually molested, according to the senior officer, who added that forensic specialists had searched the area where the remains were discovered.
According to their families, the girls went to the fields late last night to relieve themselves. When they did not return, relatives went seeking and discovered their dead hanging from a nearby plum tree.
The family have informed the police that the girls were forced to consume alcohol before being raped. The accused also recorded a video of the attack and used it to blackmail the girls, according to their relatives, stating that the pain and humiliation drove them to commit suicide. Police have acquired recordings and images from the accused’s mobile phones, which are being scrutinized, according to authorities. The two girls and their families worked in a brick kiln owned by the contractor, and their bodies were discovered less than 400 yards away.
