Bodies of 'missing' sisters found in river

Tension prevailed in Orai town, about 200 km from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, when a mob clashed with the police on Sunday after bodies of two sisters, who had “gone missing” a few days ago, were recovered from a river.

The police on Saturday recovered the bodies of the girls, Neelam, 17, and Kamini, 15, (names changed), stuffed in two sacks from the river Noon under the Dhamni bridge. The police said the girls gave their mother a drink laced with sedatives and eloped with two youths last month. 

However, their family had filed a complaint against Gaurav Dixit, a married man with whom, as the police said, the elder sister was in love. The girls’ father accused Dixit of kidnapping and murdering them. 

The police suspect involvement of more than one person, as the “sacks were sewed properly and heavy stones had been stuffed in them so that they didn’t float.” 

Case registered

A case has been registered against Dixit and six others who have been absconding, the police added. 

On Sunday, the enraged members of the girls’ family and others staged a protest, blocking traffic on the national highway. 

As the protesters pelted the police personnel with stones, the police resorted to lathi charge and used water canons to disperse them. Over two dozen people have been taken into custody in this connection.

The State government has suspended SP Rakesh Shankar, station house officer Kataundh, an inspector attached with the Orai police station and two constables.