Barmer: Bodies of 2 girls and boy found hanging from tree
Barmer: Bodies of 2 girls and boy found hanging from tree Bodies of three minors - two Dalit girls and a Muslim boy- were found hanging from a Khejri tree in Swaroop Ka Tala village, Rajasthan. While the family of the girls alleging that they were raped and murdered, the boy's kin has claimed that he had committed suicide. Bhairu Meghwal, who is the father of one of the girls, told reports, “My daughter Shanti (13) and niece Madhu (12) were sleeping with us in our house on Thursday night. We woke up after midnight to find that they were missing; their bodies were found on Friday morning. We are certain that they were kidnapped, and then raped and murdered." The girls' family suspects that 17-year-old Deshal Khan, whose body was also found hanging from the tree along with the girls, could have played a role in the deaths of the teen girls. Meghwal said, “A year back, we had convened a panchayat meeting, where I had complained that Deshal would often loiter around our houses. He was not a good boy, a few of his friends would often create a ruckus in the village." The three minors were illiterate and their families earned their living through farming. While the girls' family has denied the claims of a relationship between the three, the boy's family agreed the villagers' version. “We don’t know what happened. But yes, we did hear that he was friends with the girls…It must be love which made him take such a step,” one of the boy's relative said. The boy’s father, Kasim Khan, said that he believed that his son had committed suicide. “I don’t know why he did this as he wouldn’t come home regularly. But there’s no doubt about the fact that he committed suicide." Villagers also claimed that they had seen four sets of footprints near the tree after the bodies were discovered, giving rise to the suspicion that there was a fourth person involved in the case. However, the police have refuted the claims. Barmer Superintendent of Police Gagandeep Singla said, “Many villagers told us during the investigation that the two girls were in a relationship with the boy. The post-mortem report and other medical reports also suggest that they committed suicide." Another police official said, “During our investigation, we came to know that the two girls had told some of the women while working in a field that they would commit suicide if Deshal decided to give up his life. So far, we have found no trace of foul play,” -PTC News
