Centre to set up rape cell

New Delhi: Union women and child welfare minister Maneka Gandhi said on Friday that police laxity led to the gangrape and murder of two Dalit sisters in Badaun district in UP and said that a “rape crisis cell” will be constituted for speedy action on such incidents.

Ms Gandhi also assured that if the family members of the two girls want, she would recommend a CBI probe into the incident.

“Police is still not acting in the right direction. All policemen involved in the incident should be terminated,” she said.

“If the girls’ famly members want a CBI probe, I will recommend it,” she added.

The two girls, who were cousins and aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on the night of May 27 and their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in a village in Ushait area the next morning.

The post-mortem report of the two girls confirmed that they were raped before murder.

Terming the incident as shameful, BJP's Dalit face Udit Raj blamed Akhilesh Yadav government for law and order failure in the state.

“Whenever the SP government comes in power in the state, anti-social elements get active as they have no fear of law,” the Delhi North West MP alleged. He also blamed police for not taking action in time.

“Some accused have been arrested, but just arresting them is not sufficient. There should be an independent probe,” he said.