2 girls found hanging from tree: Families rule out suicide, demand CBI inquiry
The bodies were eventually cremated at Ataina Ghat on the Badaun border.
KANPUR The families of two Dalit teenagers, whose bodies were found hanging from a tree in UP’s Farrukhabad, demanded a murder probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the sensational case on Wednesday, rejecting the local police’s claim that the girls died by suicide.
The families refused to perform the last rites for several hours and rejected the post-mortem report, raising a string of troubling questions about the police investigation and the medical process.
The two girls – aged 15 and 18 – were found hanging from a tree in a mango orchard on Tuesday morning, bringing back memories of the grisly deaths of two sisters in Badaun a decade ago. The two girls were neighbours and close friends, and their bodies were found hanging from the same dupatta.
The post-mortem report suggested that the girls died of ante-mortem asphyxia, or hanging. Based on this, the police said the case appeared to be one of suicide.
But the families rejected this theory. “I will not allow the bodies to be cremated until a proper investigation is conducted. The post-mortem report is not credible, and I do not believe they could have committed suicide using one dupatta,” said the father of the younger girl. The other girl’s father, however, relented and agreed to the cremation.
The father of the younger girl insisted that the cremation be withheld until the circumstances of the deaths were fully investigated. “Our daughters were murdered, and the suicide theory is unbelievable. The bodies will not be moved unless a CID (Crime Investigation Department) or CBI probe is ordered,” said the aunt of the younger girl.
“The girls were happy and had no reason to take an extreme step. The marks on their backs indicate it is a case of murder,” said another female relative of the older girl.
The coffins carrying the bodies were placed in Bhagautipur village amid protests from both the families and other locals. For two hours, the police and administration officers persuaded the families to proceed with the cremation.
The bodies were eventually cremated at Ataina Ghat on the Badaun border after sub-divisional magistrate Ravindra Singh and circle officer Jitendra Singh Tomar assured the families of a transparent investigation.
“According to the post-mortem report, it appears to be a case of ante-mortem asphyxia, which means that the death of girls was due to hanging. Besides, there are no external injuries on the bodies. The police are investigating the case with an open mind and pursuing various leads,” said Farrukhabad superintendent of police Alok Priyadarshi.
Priyadarshi said the families had so far not lodged any complaint of murder. “We have not received any such complaint till now...we will act accordingly, if a complaint is filed,” he added.
Near the tree, where the bodies were hanging, the police found a mobile phone and SIM card hidden in the younger girl’s innerwear. This phone belonged to the son of the maternal uncle of the elder girl.
“The girl’s father has confirmed that the phone belongs to her cousin, who lives in the same village. It was left at his house for charging after a power outage,” said a police officer.
The SIM card found with the younger girl was issued in her father’s name, but he claimed to have no knowledge of it.
The investigation revealed that the two girls became friends a year ago when the younger one moved to live with her father in this village. Her mother had passed away when she was a year old, and she was raised by her paternal aunt in a different village. The father decided to bring her back because he struggled with cooking for himself after his son, who was an electrician, left for work in Delhi, said police.
Being neighbours, the girls had a close bond and were often seen together, particularly in the past three months, according to villagers.
The case also sparked a political controversy. “The silence of the BJP government in the case is disturbing. Perhaps there are two reasons for this, one is the BJP’s anti-women thinking and attitude and the other is their being Dalits. The Samajwadi Party (SP) will send a delegation in this regard to offer condolences as well as raise voice for justice,” party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a post on X.
State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said: “The police is probing the case and as per the post-mortem report, prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. Akhilesh Yadav must remember his tenure (as CM) when crimes against women were at its peak. In the Yogi Adityanath government, no criminal will be spared.”
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh criticised the government and called for greater focus on women’s safety.
Priyanka slams police for ‘hurried cremation’
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday slammed the Farrukhabad police and administration for the “hurried cremation of the girls’ bodies.”
She wrote on X : “Following the harrowing incident involving two Dalit girls in Farrukhabad, a father is now questioning why he has to struggle to uncover the truth about how his daughter was treated. Shouldn’t a grieving father have the right to know full details of what happened to his daughter? Why is there a rush from the authorities to cremate the bodies?”
Priyanka added that the administration’s handling of this case raised several questions. Similar patterns of neglect and cruelty have been observed in past cases, such as those in Hathras and Unnao. “The repeated occurrence of such incidents prompts a broader question: Should Dalits, marginalised communities, the poor, and women resign themselves to lack of justice and remain hopeless?” she wrote.
Five questions raised by the fathers of two deceased
1. Why did the police not wait for the forensic team to arrive at the spot? Why was a knife brought from home to cut the dupatta to bring down the bodies, which were packed hurriedly.
2. The bodies were found 15ft above the ground. Given the older girl’s weight, her body should have been lower than the younger one’s (while hanging). Instead, the younger girl’s body was found lower.
3. Both girls appeared normal and happy before the incident. What could have happened to make them allegedly commit suicide, as claimed by the police? We have no reason to believe the suicide theory.
4. The police claimed there were no external injuries on the bodies, but both had red marks on their backs, which seem like injuries. We have photos and videos of these marks.
5. We have lodged a murder complaint with the police, but no case has been registered yet. Why is this?