Seven youths were arrested in Assam for allegedly raping and murdering two teenage girls in Kokrajhar district whose bodies were found hanging from a tree on Saturday.
The arrests come two days after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the house of the two girls and instructed police to carry out an investigation expeditiously to unearth the truth over their deaths.
The victims, aged 14 and 16, belonged to an indigenous community. They were reportedly alone at home when the incident took place.
It was initially suspected to be a suicide, but the family members alleged that the two were raped and murdered before the bodies were suspended from the tree.
Chief Minister Sarma on Tuesday morning tweeted that a police investigation revealed that it was a rape and murder case. "Feeling extremely satisfied that the culprits have been identified," he tweeted.
A CID team and forensic experts visited the spot and collected samples for investigation. A team of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights headed by its chairperson, Sunita Changkakoti also visited the girls' house.
"Out of the seven persons arrested so far, three are suspected to have direct involvement in the crime. All the accused were taken to the crime scene for the collection of evidence so that their involvement can be proved in the court," said a police officer in Kokrajhar.
The incident led many organisations demanding strong action against the accused.
Published 15 June 2021, 13:27 IST