Another horrific gang rape in India; victims found hanging from a tree

LUCKNOW (Web Desk) - At least three men, including one policeman, have been arrested for gang-raping two teenage girls, aged 14 and 16, and hanging them to death from a tree in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Police claimed that two men had been arrested for the gang rape and murder of the two girls, who were cousins from a low caste.

A constable was also detained for conspiring with the suspects and for the negligence of duty, officials added.

According to the Indian media, officials in Uttar Pradesh said they were looking for two more suspects, including a constable of UP police, in connection to the case.

Earlier on Thursday, three policemen were removed from duty for not registering cases when the girls were reported missing on Tuesday night by their families.

Both families later complained to authorities against the policemen for refusing to help them find the missing girls.

The bodies of the teenagers were found in a nearby  village in Badaun district on Wednesday morning.

An autopsy examination confirmed rape and death due to hanging, police said.

Violence and discrimination against women in India remains a deep-rooted problem and rape is the fourth most common crime in the country, with over 100 male-on-female rapes taking place on average every day.

But the problem of sexual violence has gained significant attention since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus.