Prayagraj : Four members of a family including a 16-year old teen girl and 10-year old boy were found murdered at their residence on Thursday. Relatives of the family claimed that the girl might have been raped before being murdered. They have accused a neighbouring family, which belongs to the so-called “upper caste”, of the crime.
Police has filed an FIR against the neighbours of the deceased family including murder and gang rape charges. Police has told media that some people have been taken into custody for questioning.
General Secretary of Congress Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the party’s in-charge for the state, which votes in an Assembly election next year, will be visiting Prayagraj to meet the family members of the deceased.
The bodies of a 50-year-old man, his 45-year-old wife, and their children were found at their home.
Police claimed that they might have been attacked from a sharp weapon, and that there were grievous injuries on their bodies. The girl’s body was found in a room inside the house, while the other three bodies were found together in the courtyard.
A member of the extended family told the media of a land dispute with the “upper caste” family that had been festering since 2019, and claimed the victims had been assaulted by that family in September. The police, however, were trying to force a compromise, the family member alleged.
“The police were forcing the murder victims to compromise. Sushil Kumar (a police constable) used to come to us and pressure us to compromise. The police used to sit at their (accused) homes. The local inspector also told us to compromise,” the family member told the media.
“On September 21 the family was beaten up but an FIR was filed only after a week, and then a counter FIR was filed against the aggrieved family too, though they were the ones who got beaten up,” the family member added.
“It appears all four were hit on the head with an axe. There are grievous injuries on the bodies. Initial information suggests that in 2019 and 2021 they had filed cases under the SC/ST Act against some people related to a land dispute. The family alleged there was no headway in these cases. We will take strict action,” Sarvashrestha Tripathi, the Prayagraj police chief, said in a video statement.
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