Lakhimpur Dalit sisters death: UP govt vows to give punishment that will 'make souls shiver'

Lucknow, Sep 15: Amid the Opposition attacking the UP government over the law and order situation following the murder of two Dalit sisters in Lakhimpur Kheri, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak has said that strict action will be taken in the case.

He said that the "souls of the coming generations of the culprits will shiver" while promising to deliver justice to the victim's family.

The bodies of the two girls aged 17 and 15 were found hanging by a tree near on September 14. Six people were arrested on Thursday in connection with the rape and murder of two Dalit teenage sisters in Nighasan here, police told PTI.

Police have arrested six men and said the girls were strangled and later hanged to make it look like a suicide. The accused has been identified as Suhail, Junaid, Hafizul Rehman, Karimuddin, Arif and Chhotu, ANI reports.

Junaid and Sohail were in a relationship with the two sisters, the SP said. "As per preliminary investigation, the two sisters left their home on Wednesday afternoon on the persuasion of Junaid and Sohail.

"Junaid and Sohail have confessed that they strangulated the girls after raping them," said the SP. The girls' mother had on Wednesday claimed that they were murdered.

Former UP CM called it a "heartbreaking incident" and criticised the government saying that criminals in the state are "fearless because the priorities of the government are wrong."

"This incident strongly exposes the claims of the government in the matter of law and order and women's safety etc. in UP. In the cases of such heinous crimes including Hathras, most of the criminals are fearless because of the veil. The UP government should make necessary reforms in its policy, methodology and priorities," she added.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and AAP MP Sanjay Singh too have raised similar questions to the government.

Meanwhile, the postmortem is being conducted today.