Lucknow:
A 16-year-old teenage Dalit girl was allegedly raped and her body was later found hanging from a tree in Motipurwa village in Nighasan district of Uttar Pradesh, 200 kilometres from the state capital.
The incident, triggered an angry outburst from leaders of various political parties, who slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) government, saying that the law and order machinery is "hanging from trees".
After the body was discovered on Tuesday morning, the girl's father lodged a complaint with Nighasan police, naming two youths of the same village behind the alleged rape and murder.
"A case of alleged rape and murder has been lodged against the two youths - Manoj and Dharmesh - on the basis of her father's complaint. Investigation is in progress," Station Incharge Ram Kumar Yadav said.
The post mortem report is awaited to ascertain rape and cause of death.
In a shocking incident in May last year, two cousins were found hanging from a tree in Badaun district and it was alleged that they were hanged after being raped.
However, CBI later filed a closer report in the case saying that the girls had committed suicide.
Reacting to the latest incident, opposition parties attacked the Uttar Pradesh government for the "deteriorating" law and order situation.
"The entire state has turned into a jungle raj. People are feeling insecure...crime graph has shot up. We wanted to raise the issue in the state Assembly, but the government is avoiding a debate on it," senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said.
BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said that the government made tall promises of security to women, but has failed to fulfil it. All its schemes like 1090 women helpline have failed.
"The law and order machinery is hanging from trees," he remarked, adding women were not safe in UP.
Mr Pathak also demanded action against police personnel who did not take cognisance of the incident.
Incidentally, the latest case came to light just a day after the Uttar Pradesh government put up a bold face through the Governor's address to the state legislature on the law and order front, claiming the situation has remained under control and communalism has been dealt with full force.
The government, the address noted, has taken "prompt action for controlling crimes and maintaining law and order.
There is rule of law in the state...(government) remained successful in maintaining social harmony."
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