Uttar Pradesh: Siblings murdered in Etawah; minor raped, killed in Etah

LUCKNOW: While the nationwide outrage continues over Unnao and Kathua cases, a series incidents of crime against girls rocked Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.  While two sisters, one minor, were found murdered in  Etawah, a seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Etah district on Tuesday morning. The 7-year-old was believably raped at a wedding ceremony by a youth who was hired to set up the tent on the occasion.

According to Etawah police, the bodies of both the girls, who were sisters, were recovered from the field just 500 metres away from their village Kailamau after being allegedly shot by unidentified
assailants under Basrehar police station area of Etawah district.

While the senior police officials including IG Zone Alok Singh and SSP Etawah Ashok Kumar Tripathi reached the spot and supervised the investigations, the post-mortem report ruled out sexual assault
on the victims.

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The autopsy was conducted by a panel of doctors at the district hospital and the police lodged a case against unidentified assailants under sections 302 of IPC. It is believed that both siblings -- Sandhya (18) and Shalu (15) -- daughters of Ram Kishore Shakya, a farmer of Kailamau village, had gone to attend nature’s call on Monday evening but did not return. However, when they did not return, the elders launched a hunt and informed the local police.

"We recovered the bullet-riddled bodies of the girls from the field. Also, bullet shells, slippers, water containers and a battery torch were found lying close to the bodies of the victims,” said station house officer, Basrehar, Vinay Diwakar. He added that assailants had used country-made weapon to shoot the girls dead.

While the family members were being quizzed, devastated by the murder of both his daughters and flummoxed over the motive, the father of the victims was grappling to establish the reason while
claiming that he did not have enmity with anyone in the village. “I don't know why anybody would kill my daughters," said the howling father.

The police have registered a case under various relevant sections including 302 of IPC (Indian Penal Code) against unidentified persons on the complaint of the girls' father.

Meanwhile, just 100 km from Etawah, another minor, 7,  was brutalised in the darkness of night at a wedding by a tent man in Etah on the wee hours on Tuesday. The incident took place in Sitalpur village, two km away from Kotwali Nagar police station area. The case came to light when the family of the victim spotted her body in an abandoned under-construction home, close to the venue of wedding in which she had come with her parents. The accused identified at Sonu Jatav who had fled, but was later
apprehended by the police.

According to sources, the victim went missing during the wedding ceremony even as her parents kept searching for her whereabouts. “Later at around 1:30 am, the unconscious girl was found in a
semi-naked condition, with strangulation marks on her neck. Her abdomen also had blood stains,” the source said. When the victim was rushed to Etah government hospital, she was brought dead upon arrival.

SP, Etah, Akhilesh Chaurasia, said that the victim’s body was sent for post-mortem examination, while the accused was arrested and booked under IPC Section 302 (murder), 376 (rape) and POCSO Act.