BSP chief Mayawati expresses shock over Dalit girls' rape and murder in Lakhimpur Kheri, slams Yogi govt over law and order situation

BSP chief Mayawati condemned the Lakhimpur Kheri incident saying criminals are roaming free in Uttar Pradesh because the priorities of the state government are wrong.

Image courtesy: ANI

Lucknow: Expressing shock over the heartbreaking incident that took place in Lakhimpur Kheri, where two Dalit daughters were abducted and raped and their bodies were hanged from a tree, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the law and order situation in the state after the bodies of two minor sisters, belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, were found hanging from a tree in Lakhimpur Kheri district. Taking to Twitter, the BSP chief condemned the incident stating that criminals are roaming free in Uttar Pradesh because the priorities of the government are wrong.

The BSP chief tweeted in Hindi, "The heartbreaking incident that took place in Lakhimpur Kheri where two Dalit daughters were abducted and raped in front of their mother and their bodies were hanged from a tree is in discussion everywhere because the condemnation for such heinous crime is less. Criminals in UP are roaming fearlessly because the priorities of the government are wrong."

यह घटना यूपी में कानून-व्यवस्था व महिला सुरक्षा आदि के मामले में सरकार के दावों की जबर्दस्त पोल खोलती है। हाथरस सहित ऐसे जघन्य अपराधों के मामलों में ज्यादातर लीपापोती होने से ही अपराधी बेखौफ हैं। यूपी सरकार अपनी नीति, कार्यप्रणाली व प्राथमिकताओं में आवश्यक सुधार करे। 2/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) September 15, 2022

Mayawati further urged the state government to make necessary reforms in its policy, methodology and priorities, adding "This incident has exposed the law and order situation in the state and the false claims made by the ruling government on women`s safety etc. in UP. Government is busy hiding the truth about such heinous crimes including Hathras and the criminals are fearless. The UP government should make necessary reforms in its policy, methodology and priorities." 

Expressing her grief over the incident on Wednesday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the state government and said, "The incident of murder of two sisters in Lakhimpur (UP) is heart-wrenching. The relatives say that those girls were abducted in broad daylight. Giving false advertisements in newspapers and TV every day does not improve law and order. After all, why are heinous crimes against women increasing in UP?"

Six people arrested, post-mortem examination by panel of doctors 

Meanwhile, six people were arrested today in connection with the rape and murder of two Dalit teenage sisters in Nighasan, according to police. Lakhimpur Kheri Superintendent of Police (SP) told reporters, "We have arrested Junaid, Sohail, Hafizur Rehman, Karimuddin, Arif and Chottu in an overnight operation," adding that Junaid and Sohail were in a relationship with the two sisters. 

"As per the preliminary investigation, the two sisters left their home on Wednesday afternoon on the persuasion of Junaid and Sohail. Junaid and Sohail have confessed that they strangulated the girls after raping them," the SP said. 

"The men took advantage of the fact that they were friendly with the girls and raped them. As the girls then started saying they would have to marry them, the men got angry and strangled them with their dupattas. They later called two of their friends, who helped them hang the girls so that it looked like a suicide," IANS quoted SP Sanjeev Suman as saying.

The SP further said that the main accused Chotu had allegedly introduced the girls to three others but was not at the scene of the crime. The three, who carried out the crime, and the two, who helped them in a coverup attempt, are from another village close to the girls, adding that one of the men was caught this morning in an encounter with the police, who shot him in the leg. 

All six have been booked for murder and rape, under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The SP, however, said that the girls were `not forcibly abducted`, adding that the post-mortem examination is being conducted by a panel of three doctors.

He added, "It will be videographed, and some members of the victims` family will be inside as they wanted to be sure. We will do everything that the family wants. That is important, we understand." 

Notably, the bodies of the two Dalit minor sisters, aged nearly 14 and 17 years respectively, were found allegedly hanging from a tree outside a village in the Nighasan area of Uttar Pradesh`s Lakhimpur Kheri district on Wednesday. The mother of the girls reportedly said that her daughters were kidnapped by three bike-borne men at nearly 3 pm on Wednesday and were later found hanging from a tree in a cane field.

On Wednesday evening, local villagers and the family of the girls lodged a protest as they marched and blocked the road demanding justice for the victims. The family of the deceased staged a demonstration at the Nighasan crossing, a few kilometres from the village.

(With Inputs from Agencies)