Two Dalit minor girls found hanging from tree in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri; six arrested

The two sisters left their home on Wednesday afternoon on the persuasion of Junaid and Sohail, who were in a relationship with them.

New Delhi: Two Dalit teenage sisters were found hanging from a tree in a field in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday (September 14, 2022), police said and added that six people have been arrested. The bodies were found hanging from a tree in a sugarcane field in the Lalpur Majra Tamoli Purva village, which comes under the Nighasan police station of Lakhimpur Kheri district. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

"We have arrested Junaid, Sohail, Hafizur Rehman, Karimuddin, Arif and Chottu in an overnight operation," Lakhimpur Kheri Superintendent of Police (SP) told reporters.

All six have been booked for murder and rape, and under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Junaid and Sohail were in a relationship with the two sisters, the SP said.

"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," he added.

थाना निघासन क्षेत्रांतर्गत ग्राम तमोलिन पुरवा में बरामद दो बहनों के शव के संबंध में पुलिस द्वारा की गई कार्यवाही का विवरण pic.twitter.com/8UnfIU4En9 — KHERI POLICE (@kheripolice) September 14, 2022

Meanwhile, Opposition parties including Samajwadi Party (SP), Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) attacked the Yogi Adityanath-led government over "increasing" crimes against women in the state. 

"Murder of two Dalit sisters after kidnapping them in Nighasan police station area. Their father's allegation on the police is very serious that they carried out 'panchnama' and post-mortem without the family's consent. After farmers in Lakhimpur, the killing of Dalits is now a repetition of the murder of 'Hathras' daughter'," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said.

निघासन पुलिस थाना क्षेत्र में 2 दलित बहनों को अगवा करने के बाद उनकी हत्या और उसके बाद पुलिस पर पिता का ये आरोप बेहद गंभीर है कि बिना पंचनामा और सहमति के उनका पोस्टमार्टम किया गया।

लखीमपुर में किसानों के बाद अब दलितों की हत्या ‘हाथरस की बेटी’ हत्याकांड की जघन्य पुनरावृत्ति है। pic.twitter.com/gFmea4bAUc — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 14, 2022

"The killings of the two sisters in Lakhimpur is heartbreaking. The family says the girls were abducted in broad daylight. Law and order in the state doesn't improve by giving false advertisements in newspapers and TV every day. After all, why are heinous crimes against women increasing in Uttar Pradesh? When will the government wake up?," Priyanka said.

कब जागेगी सरकार? — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) September 14, 2022

"Criminals in UP are roaming fearlessly because the priorities of the government are wrong," BSP supremo Mayawati said and urged the state government to make necessary reforms in its policy, methodology and priorities.

2. 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

Harshest action to be taken against all criminals: UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Ministers have assured strict action against the culprits and have urged the opposition to "console the family instead of politicising the matter".

"Lakhimpur incident is sad and unfortunate. Harshest action to be taken against all criminals. I'd ask the Opposition, whether Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi or Mayawati, that instead of politicising, they console the family," Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said.

Assuring justice to the Dalit girls, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said, "The government will take such an action that the souls of culprits' coming generations will also shiver".

(With agency inputs)