According to the police, the two accused had dumped the body into a canal.(Representational)
A 17-year-old girl was gang raped and murdered by her boyfriend and his accomplice because she had been refusing to meet him, the police in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district - just 30 km from capital Lucknow - said on Tuesday. The victim's family was opposed to their relationship, they added.
The victim had been missing for some days, the police said. On getting information about her relationship, the man was interrogated and he admitted to committing the crime, they said.
According to the police, the two accused had dumped the body into a canal.
"They threw her into the canal after raping her. We had informed the police that the body has been found in the canal after which they reached the spot," the victim's brother told reporters.
The accused have been arrested. A case of murder and gang rape has been registered against them.
In another incident, the police in UP's Hapur - around 45 km from Delhi - have registered a case against two people for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.
"We don't know anything. We are poor labourers, they are influential, rich people. My daughter told me that she had stomach ache. The doctors later told us she was pregnant ...We got to know about the crime after six months," her father told reporters.
The incidents have been reported weeks after a 20-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang raped and murdered in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. She was cremated by the police in the dead of the night, allegedly without the family's consent, triggering nationwide furore.
The Yogi Adityanath government has been severely criticised for its handling of the case, which is now being probed by the CBI.
Last week, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, under pressure because of a series of horrific crimes against women, launched the "Mission Shakti" campaign for women's security in Uttar Pradesh.
"To pay homage to the victim of a very unfortunate incident, I decided to kick-off the Mission Shakti campaign from Balrampur and I am extremely delighted to launch this programme. Mission Shakti aims at guaranteeing security and respect for every woman in the state," he said.