Father of one of the UP girls, who were allegedly gang-raped, ends life too

The father of one of the teen girls, whose bodies were found hanging from a tree in a village last week after they were allegedly raped, allegedly took his life by hanging himself from a tree in his native village in Hamirpur district.

According to reports, the family members of the accused were pressuring him to withdraw the case. However, the police are yet to confirm if these allegations are true or not.

Senior police officer Deeksha Sharma said the body of the man was recovered on Wednesday afternoon, reports Times of India newspaper.

Last week, the bodies of the man's daughter and one another girl were recovered.

The girls were allegedly forced to drink liquor and were raped by the son, 18, and nephew, 19, of a local contractor. The girls worked at a brick kiln owned by the contractor, and their bodies were found less than 400 metres from that spot.

The accused have been arrested and are in jail. They could face charges of gang rape and abetment of suicide, as well as those under the POCSO Act, the police said.

Also watch: Two minor girls found hanging in UP’s Kanpur, families allege gang rape