Two minor sisters found hanging from tree in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri

Lucknow, Sep 14: The bodies of two minor sisters, aged around 15 and 17 years, were found hanging from a tree under Nighashan police station of Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district.

Local villagers and the girls' family accused three men of rape and murder and staged a demonstration at the Nighasan crossing, a few kilometres from the village.

The bodies have been sent for autopsy. The police are working to confirm the cause of death and establish the sequence of events.

According to one officer, "We are working to confirm the cause of death and sequence of events." The people protested and blocked highways after the tragedy. Opposition parties have demanded that the accused be given to severe punishment.

Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party has criticised the Uttar Pradesh government and attacked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over women's safety in the state.

"In Yogi government, goons are harassing mothers and sisters every day, very shameful. The government should get the matter investigated, the culprits should get the harshest punishment," the Samajwadi Party tweeted.

Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attacked the state's BJP government.

"The incident of murder of two sisters in Lakhimpur (UP) is heart-wrenching. The relatives say that those girls were abducted in broad daylight. Giving false advertisements in newspapers and TV every day does not improve law and order. After all, why are heinous crimes against women increasing in UP?" read a rough translation of her Hindi tweet.

While details in the case are awaited, the incident brought back stark reminder of the 2014 Badaun case in UP in which two female cousins were found hanging from a tree.

There were allegations that the girls were gang raped and murdered but the CBI in its probe ruled out sexual assault. The agency also said that the case was that of a suicide.