Two girls were found hanging from a tree in a field near the brick kiln they were working in here in a village in the Ghatampur area -- days after they were allegedly raped, police said on Thursday.
Family members have alleged that the minor girls were raped a few days ago by the contractor of the brick kiln, Ramroop Nishad, (48), his son Raju (18) and nephew Sanjay (19), Additional CP (law and order) Harish Chandra said. All three accused have been arrested, he said.
According to the families, the accused had also made a video of the act to blackmail the girls -- 16 and 14 years of age -- due to which they took the extreme step on Wednesday, Chandra said. The victims went missing on Wednesday and hours later in the evening, their bodies were found hanging from a tree, 400 metres from the brick kiln, the ACP said.
He said all three accused who are residents of Hamirpur district in UP have been arrested. We have recovered videos and photographs of the girls from mobiles of the accused which would be sent for forensic examinations, the officer said. The accused have been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 376D (gang rape), 306 (abetment of suicide) and the Protection Of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Chandra said.
The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death and verify gang rape charges, he said, adding that the autopsy is being videographed. The officer said that there was no law and order problem in the area. The victims and accused hailed from the same village in Hamirpur district, he said.said.
