The rape and homicide of two minor Dalit women in Uttar Pradesh has sparked outrage throughout the nation after the sisters had been discovered hanging from a tree within the northern Indian state’s Lakhimpur Kheri district on Wednesday.

On Thursday, police stated that six accused have been arrested in reference to the case and charged below sections of India’s Safety of Youngsters from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012.

“Six suspects have been arrested within the gangrape-murder of two minor Dalit sisters discovered hanging from a tree. Postmortem within the presence of the sufferer’s household is underway,” Lakhimpur superintendent of police Sanjiv Suman instructed reporters.

India’s 200 million Dalits, previously untouchables, are positioned on the bottom rung of an historical caste hierarchy, and are sometimes the targets of discrimination although the nation abolished untouchablity in 1955.

The incident comes two years after the gangrape and homicide of a 19-year-old Dalit lady within the state’s Hathras district introduced nationwide and worldwide condemnation for prime minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) which is in energy in Uttar Pradesh.

The state administration below chief minister Yogi Adityanath confronted criticism for dealing with of the assault through which 4 higher caste males had been accused.

There was nationwide outrage over the police’s swift cremation of the sufferer’s physique, their heavy-handed method with protesters, and their makes an attempt to dam opposition politicians from assembly with the sufferer’s household.

On Thursday Lakhimpur Kheri police stated that two women had been raped earlier than they had been murdered.

“All of the accused and the ladies belong to the identical village. Chotu, son of Chetram, was recognized to the ladies prior to now and he was the one who had launched the ladies to 3 of the accused. Later, when the ladies began forcing them for marriage, the accused strangulated and hanged them,” stated Lakhimpur Kheri SP Sanjay Kumar was quoted as saying to The Indian Specific.

Other than Chotu alias Gautam, the opposite accused have been recognized as Junaid, Suhail, Hafizul Rehman, Karimuddin and Arif, police stated.

“Junaid was arrested following an encounter on Thursday morning and he has a gunshot damage in one among his legs,” Mr Kumar stated.

In response to the sufferer’s household, the 2 women had been dragged away by the accused round 3pm on Wednesday.

The sufferer’s mom stated that she was taking a shower when she heard Chotu, who frequents their space, calling her daughters. Quickly, three boys got here and began dragging her daughters away.

“I attempted to cease them and ran behind them, however they beat me up and left. I shouted and ran again to hunt assist from the villagers,” she was quoted as saying.

The ladies’ father has demanded the loss of life penalty for the accused.

Because the information of the ladies’ loss of life unfold, locals staged a protest and blocked a highway within the village.

The blockade was lifted after senior police officers promised strict motion towards the responsible.

Whereas the state authorities has promised motion, the opposition has hit out at prime minister Narendra Modi’s BJP for lawlessness within the state.

“The Lakhimpur incident is unhappy and unlucky. Harshest motion to be taken towards all criminals. I’d anticipate the Opposition, whether or not Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi or Mayawati that as a substitute of politicising, they console the household. However the rule of regulation has prevailed in Uttar Pradesh,” deputy chief minister KP Maurya was quoted as saying to ANI.

Rahul Gandhi, opposition lawmaker from the Congress occasion, referred to the latest remission and launch of 11 convicts in a gangrape and homicide case and stated: “The kidnapping and homicide of two minor Dalit sisters in Lakhimpur in broad daylight is a really disturbing incident.”

“Ladies’s security can’t be anticipated from those that get the rapists launched and respect them. We’ve to create a protected surroundings within the nation for our sisters and women.” The 11 males convicted of gang-raping Muslim lady Bilkis Bano and murdering her baby throughout one of many nation’s worst communal riots in Gujarat state in 2002 had been granted remission after having served a 15-year sentence.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati accused the state’s Yogi Adityanath authorities of misgovernance.

“This incident strongly exposes the claims of the federal government within the matter of regulation and order and ladies’s security and many others. in UP,” Mayawati tweeted.

“Within the instances of such heinous crimes together with Hathras, a lot of the criminals are fearless due to the veil.”

Wednesday’s incident is a stark reminder of the loss of life of two cousin sisters in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun who had been raped and located hanging from a tree in 2014.

In response to federal authorities knowledge launched final week, crimes towards girls in India elevated by 15 per cent in 2021 in comparison with the earlier yr.

The Nationwide Crime Information Bureau (NCRB) report confirmed that Uttar Pradesh recorded the best variety of crimes towards girls in 56,083 instances final yr.