Lucknow:
In a sudden twist to the Badaun gang-rape and murder case, Uttar Pradesh's seniormost police officer has said that it is yet to be confirmed that one of the two girls, found hanging from a tree last week, was raped.
The girls, aged 14 and 15, were found hanging from a mango tree in an orchard in the Katra Sadatganj village on May 28. A post-mortem and preliminary medical examination had suggested that they were raped and died from hanging. Five persons, including two policemen, have been arrested so far in connection with the case.
But the state's Director General of Police (DGP) today said that there might be a possibility that those "who are being talked about, may not be involved", adding that property could have been a possible motive behind the gruesome crime.
"One of the girls was her father's only daughter. They are three brothers who have limited resources. In case she is not alive, it could benefit others. It (property) could be one of the motives. I am not saying that this is the motive," said AL Banerji, DGP, UP.
He also added that narco and lie detector tests would be conducted on all the five accused arrested in the case.
The victims' families had alleged that four men from the village had abducted the girls when they stepped out on the night of May 27 to relieve themselves. They alleged that the accused gang-raped the cousins before killing them and hanging them from a tree. Three of the accused belong to the same community as the state's chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav. So are the two cops, who the families allege did not act on their complaint after the girls went missing.
The state government, which has come under intense criticism for its callous response to the horrific crime, today suspended the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police in Badaun. A four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to probe the incident which has managed to grab international headlines and has raised serious concerns about the precarious law and order situation in the state following a string of rapes.
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