According to Chandra, who spoke to the families involved, the girls may have felt pressured to take such extreme measures since the accused had secretly recorded the incident and was trying to blackmail them.
Authorities Detain All Three Suspects: Reports
According to the ACP, the girls were reported missing on Wednesday. Later that evening, their bodies were found hanging from a tree, around 400 meters from the brick kiln. According to him, the three individuals in question were apprehended in the Hamirpur district of UP. Police will be sending the accused’s cellphones for forensic testing after they were found to have “videos and photographs of the girls,” the officer said.
#WATCH | Kanpur | Additional Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Harish Chander says, "Last night, information regarding the bodies of two minor girls found hanging was received at PS Ghatampur. A team of police and forensic experts conducted a probe at the site where the bodies… pic.twitter.com/UvTPyZ8e9L
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 29, 2024
According to Chandra, the criminal charges against the individuals include gang rape (376D), suicide attempt (306), and violations of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
The post-mortem investigation of the bodies will determine the exact cause of death and confirm the gang rape charges, he added.
