Unnao girls' death case: UP police files murder FIR against unidentified persons

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Unnao: The Uttar Pradesh on Thursday registered a case of murder based on the complaint of family members of the two girls who were found dead in a field in Unnao on Wednesday evening. According to reports, the Unnao Police has registered the murder case against unidentified persons under sections 302, 201 of the IPC.  The FIR has been registered at the Asoha Police Station on the basis of the complaint filed by the victims' family.  

The UP police chief earlier said that the cause of death of two of the three girls who were found unconscious in a field in Unnao district could not be ascertained, while poisoning has been confirmed in the third one, who is critical but stable at the moment.

News agency PTI cited UP Police chief H C Awasthi saying, “Condition of the third girl found in a field in Unnao is critical but stable, the medical bulletin says it is a suspected case of poisoning.’’

The UP police chief further said that the “cause of death of two Unnao girls could not be ascertained in the post-mortem. Their viscera has been preserved for chemical examination.’’ Awasthi further informed that no injury marks were found on the bodies of two girls who were found dead in Unnao on Wednesday evening. A panel of three doctors earlier performed the autopsy of the two girls who were found dead in a field in Unnao, the state police chief said.

The third one, admitted in a critical condition to a Kanpur hospital, was being treated for suspected poisoning and is presently on the ventilator, Regency Hospital sources said, according to PTI.

Meanwhile, the case has triggered a political storm with the Opposition demanding a high-level inquiry into the incident. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a serious note of the incident and sought a detailed report from the state’s DGP.

Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure proper treatment of the teenager admitted in Kanpur hospital on government expenses, according to the government spokesperson.

Unnao Superintendent of Police Anand Kulkarni said there was a contradiction in the statements of the mother and brother of the girls and investigations were on. It may be noted that three girls, aged 15, 14 and 16, were found tied in a field in Babuhara village in Asoha, around 36 km south of Lucknow, on Wednesday evening by the villagers when they did not return after they left their house to take fodder for the cattle.

The villagers informed the police and rushed the girls to the hospital, where two of them were declared brought dead, while the other was rushed to the Unnao hospital and later referred to Kanpur hospital, the police said.

"Our investigation has found that bodies had no marks on them either in the hands or legs, suggesting that they were not tied, the Unnao SP had said earlier. Asked if an FIR had been lodged in this connection, the SP said the matter was being investigated and action would be taken as per the post mortem report, which was conducted by a panel of three doctors and video-graphed.

He added that the family members who were the first ones to reach the spot were being questioned. According to Kulkarni, the girl's brother had said the girls were tied with a 'dupatta' (stole), while her mother said on Thursday that it was around her neck.

On speculation that it was a case of honour killing, the SP said all aspects would be included in the probe and it would not be right to say anything on it at the moment. Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government was not only suppressing the Dalit society but also crushing the honour and human rights of women in the state.

"The UP government is not only crushing Dalit society but also the honour and human rights of women. But they should remember that I and the entire Congress party will stand as the voice of victims and will endeavour to get them justice," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

BSP chief Mayawati expressed condolences to the affected family, describing the incident as "very serious and sad". "The BSP demands a high-level inquiry into the incident and strict punishment for the culprits," Mayawati tweeted.

Samajwadi Party MLC Sunil Singh Sajan has alleged that the Unnao police was trying to hush up the case. He has sought a probe by an independent agency in the matter. 

(With PTI inputs)