The tragic deaths of two Dalit girls, aged 15 and 18, in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad district have sent shockwaves through the nation. The girls were found hanging from a tree in Bhagautipur village on Tuesday, after they had left home the previous evening to visit a temple for Janmashtami. While authorities maintain that the girls died by suicide, the father of one of the deceased girls has vehemently disputed the post-mortem findings, claiming that the report fails to account for the injuries he observed on his daughter’s body.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Avnindra Singh, stated that the post-mortem conducted by a panel of doctors concluded that the girls died due to hanging, with no external injury marks found. However, the girls’ family members have alleged that the bodies bore signs of struggle, including marks from a belt and thorns pierced into the body. The father of one of the girls, speaking to PTI, has accused the authorities of fabricating the report, stating, “You have found out that they committed suicide by hanging but the injury marks on their bodies have not come in your report. This is all fake. All the reports are false.”
The case has garnered national attention, with politicians condemning the incident and demanding a thorough investigation. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have both publicly criticized the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government, questioning the integrity of the investigation and demanding justice for the victims. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Priyanka Gandhi raised a critical question: “Why does a father have to raise these questions after such a horrific incident? Doesn’t a victim’s father have the right to know the truth about the treatment meted out to his daughter? Why is the administration in a hurry to cremate the bodies of the girls?”
The family’s allegations have cast a shadow of doubt over the official narrative and have sparked widespread outrage. The incident has reignited concerns about the safety and justice for Dalit communities in India. As the investigation progresses, the nation awaits answers to the crucial questions raised by the victims’ families and demands accountability for the tragic deaths of these young girls.
