GUWAHATI: The bodies of two sisters, both minors, were found hanging from a tree in Assam's Kokrajhar district and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said it appeared to be a case of murder or suicide under duress. "The two tribal girls died under mysterious circumstances. Prima facie, it looks like a case of murder or suicide under duress. Lives have been lost. We want the police to find out why the lives have been lost and for whom," Sarma told journalists after visiting the family on Sunday. The bodies, found inside a forest in Abhayakuti village under Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) on Friday night, were sent to Civil Hospital, Kokrajhar for autopsy. The police detained five persons for questioning. Sarma said two of them deleted their mobile records but the police had evidence that they spoke to the girls for one to one and half hours. Sarma said he had talked to the Inspector General of Police, BTR and Superintendent of Police, Kokrajhar to take the probe to its logical end. "According to the family, there was no reason for them to commit suicide. If it is a case of murder, the murderers will be tracked down and punished. If it was suicide, we would like to know the reasons behind it. I have instructed the police to probe both aspects," he said. Stating that the government cannot accept the deaths of the two tribal girls from Rabha community which made him visit the place, he said he was hopeful the police would be able to crack the case. "Many families live under constant insecurity in Lower Assam. I came here to send across a message that this government will not tolerate any kind of torture of the poor and the downtrodden," Sarma added. The family of the two girls, who were missing since Friday afternoon, claimed they were raped before being murdered. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.) |