Girls gang-raped, killed, bodies hung from tree

Two schoolgirls were allegedly gang-raped and their bodies hung from the two ends of the same rope of a tree in southern Assam's Karimganj district.

Who were the two girls?
The girls are students of class VIII and IX. They were neighbours, hailing from Kabulpunji village falling under the Nilambazar police station in the district. The area is less than two-km from the India-Bangladesh border.

What did the locals say?
They said the girls were reported missing since Wednesday evening ever since going out for a
stroll to a nearby hillock. They used to go out for a stroll every evening. On Wednesday, when they did not return home till late hours the families searched at various places but could not locate them. The next morning, one girl's brother spotted the bodies hanging from a mango tree. The police was then informed. The site is around 300 meters from their house.

What about the rape angle?
The locals suspected that the girls were gang-raped and then killed to cover up the crime.
They claimed that the bodies bore injury marks. A mobile phone was recovered from the spot.

What did the police say?
The police said the bodies had been sent for autopsy and forensic examination. "It is difficult to ascertain if there is any rape angle. We are awaiting the post-mortem report from the Silchar Medical College. The medical examination can only confirm if they were raped and the exact cause of their death," additional superintendent of police Nabin Singh told dna. "We are conducting a probe. No arrest has been made so far," he added.