The police in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have arrested two men for allegedly raping and murdering minor girls by luring them away from their families during wedding ceremonies. The incidents occurred in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district and in Uttar Pradesh Etah disrict. The accused have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Chhattisgarh

The police on Thursday arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly raping and murdering an 11-year-old girl, PTI reported. The girl’s body was found early on Thursday morning in Podi village, where she had gone to attend a wedding.

Uttam Sahu, the groom’s friend, had lured the child away from the wedding on Wednesday with the promise of cold drinks, according to The Times of India. He reportedly took her to a secluded spot, raped her and then killed her with a heavy stone.

Sahu then returned to the wedding party. He pretended to not know where the girl was when her relatives began searching for her. He was detained because his clothes had blood stains,the police said.

Uttar Pradesh

The police arrested 25-year-old man Pintu Kumar for allegedly raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district on Thursday night, Hindustan Times reported. Just three days earlier, another person was arrested for allegedly raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in the district by luring her away from her parents, who were busy during a wedding.

The police, acting on a complaint that the girl’s father filed, booked Kumar for murder, rape and concealing evidence. “The girl was found missing by her family members [around] 10 pm on Thursday while they were attending a ‘tilak’ function in a nearby house in Keltha village of Aliganj area in Etah district,” Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar said. “Her body was found at 3 am on Friday in a farm, 100 metres from the house after a search.”

Kumar was a part of the team of cooks hired to prepare food for the guests, the police said.