Hathras minor sisters’ murder: Attacker, aide arrested after encounter, say relative hired them

Police said both the accused said they were hired by one Sone Lal Gautam, a cousin of the sisters, who “wanted to eliminate the entire family of his uncle Chotey Lal Gautam” over property, to carry out the attack.

A day after two minor sisters were hacked to death at their home in Harthras, the attacker and his aide were arrested following a police encounter on Thursday night.

Hathras minor sisters’ murder: Attacker, aide arrested after encounter, say relative hired them

Police said both the accused said they were hired by one Sone Lal Gautam, a cousin of the sisters, who “wanted to eliminate the entire family of his uncle Chotey Lal Gautam” over property, to carry out the attack.

Chotey Lal is a teacher at Jawahar Smarak Inter College who, along with his wife, was injured in the attack and hospitalised. The teacher, who is in his early 40s, is suffering from paralysis and has been bedridden for about a year, police said.

The accused—Vikas (25), who attacked the sisters aged 13 and 7, and his associate Lalu Pal (24)—suffered injuries in their legs in the retaliatory firing. They were jailed after they were brought to a court in Hathras on Friday.

Police sources revealed that Sone Lal, was believed to be in Dubai and had paid the duo ₹20,000 as an advance amount out of the ₹2 lakh promised.

“Vikas is not consistent in his statements but states that Sone Lal is in Dubai and had transferred money to them online,” stated additional SP Ashok Kumar Singh.

Earlier, superintendent of police (SP) Chiranjeev Nath Sinha said teams were constituted to nab the accused after the killing of the two minor sisters in Ashirwad Dham colony of Hathras.

“On Thursday night, a police team on alert traced two suspicious men on a motorcycle who fired on police when asked to stop. In the retaliatory firing, the two were injured in leg and arrested. They were identified as Vikas, the main accused wanted for the killing of the two sisters, and his associate. They were hospitalised in custody.”

“Vikas confessed that he was hired by Sone Lal Gautam, a cousin of the victims. Sone Lal had paid ₹2 lakh to Vikas to eliminate his uncle Chotey Lal Gautam’s family so that the latter’s property, including his house in Ashirwad Dham Colony, could be usurped by Sone Lal,” the SP added.

Also, Vikas knew the family and was staying with them at their house. On the night of the incident, Vikas had dinner with the family and hacked the two minor daughters of Chotey Lal to death.

A case against the incident was registered at the kotwali police station of Hathras.