A shocking incident that points to the implications of crime against women came to light when two cousins committed suicide in the Ghatampur area of the Kanpur district.

The two minor girls were found hanging from a tree on Wednesday night. According to reports, they took the extreme step out of frustration on being constantly subjected to sexual harassment by a kiln contractor’s son and his nephew.

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After the incident, the police arrested the duo, along with the contractor who intimidated the family of the victims.

Reports suspect that the girls were gang raped. It’s said the culprits forced the victims to drink alcohol before committing the crime on Tuesday. What’s more upsetting is that the accused recorded the heinous act on video.

When the family of the victims protested against the incident, the contractor, the father and uncle of the accused duo, threatened them with dire consequences. He said he would beat up both the girls, along with their family members, and make the video viral if they opened their mouths about the incident.

Later, the victims committed suicide by hanging themselves from a tree with a scarf. Their bodies were found hanging from a berry tree 50 meters away from their hut.

It’s said the girls served food to their family members on Wednesday before committing suicide after leaving home on the pretext of relieving themselves in the open.

The police arrested the contractor, his son, and his nephew under different sections and the POCSO Act based on an FIR registered against them.

According to the police, at the time of the incident, the parents of a teenage girl had gone to their native village to attend a wedding ceremony while the parents of the other girl had gone to Ghatampur to buy ration

DCP Ravindra Kumar said tension prevailed in the village prompting the administration to deploy additional forces. A forensic team collected evidence from the crime scene.

On the other hand, Additional Police Commissioner Harish Chander visited the spot and recorded the statements of the workers.

Locals complained to the police against the contractor, who uses intimidatory tactics to force people to work as he enjoys clout in the area. His son and nephew came to the kiln only a month ago and since then they started harassing both girls.