Despite outcry over Kathua incident, two minors raped and murdered in UP, Chhattisgarh

Lucknow: Despite a national outcry over the Kahua rape and murder case, two minors were raped and killed in two separate cases in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district and in the Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. The first case was reported from the Kailtha village in Etah where a nine-year-old girl was raped and killed in the same manner as an eight-year-old was lured from a wedding function and raped and then murdered in the district last week.

The accused in this case is a boy who was part of the cooking team hired for a pre-wedding ceremony in Kailtha village. He lured the girl to a field behind the venue where he raped her and then strangled her as she tried to raise an alarm, the police said.

The girl was taken to a hospital where she died, a police official was quoted as saying. Police are now looking for two other youths believed to involved in the crime.

On Monday, an eight-year-old girl had gone missing from a wedding she had gone to attend with her family in Etah.

Her body was found the next morning in a field. A drunk youth, found lying beside her, was arrested on suspicion of raping and murdering her.

In another case, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by a guest at a wedding in Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh.

Uttam Sahu, the 25-year-old accused, has been arrested, Lal Umed Singh, Superintendent of Police, was quoted as saying by PTI.

The incident took place on Wednesday night in the district, about 120km from state capital Raipur.

Sahu lured the girl away from the village and then raped and killed her by smashing her head with a stone, Singh said.

The victim was related to the bridegroom, he said.

After committing the crime, Sahu, a resident of nearby Rehauta village, returned and joined the wedding, he said.

When the girl did not return home, a search was launched for her and it came to light that she was last seen with Sahu, the police official said.

The body was found near a canal yesterday after which police questioned Sahu, who admitted to the crime, Singh said.

He has been arrested on charges of murder and rape, he added. 

(With PTI Inputs)