Police consider jail without trial for 'rape and murder' suspects of 2 teenagers

A total of six men have been arrested and charged with raping, killing and hanging two teenage sisters from a tree. The crime brought to light India's continuing problem with sexual violence and its caste system

The police plan to enact a law that will allow them to imprison the accused for up to a year without trial (

Image: DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA-EFE/REX)

A grim incident saw two teenage sisters found hanging from a tree, suspected of having been raped and murdered.

The two girls, aged 15 and 17, were found hanging by shawls near their home in Lakhimpur district of Uttar Pradesh state on the afternoon of Wednesday September 14.< /p>

The recent crime sparked outrage, especially as the two teenagers were from the Dalit caste, at the very bottom of the outdated hierarchy in place in India with this group often subject to discrimination and violence .

Now Uttar Pradesh Police are considering introducing the National Security Act (NSA) on the six people they have arrested in connection with the crimes.

This act is serious and would allow police to detain accused persons for up to a year without charge.

The girls' mother, who disagrees with the police account of events, said their daughters were forcibly taken away (

Picture:

AFP via Getty Images)

Dismissing reports that one of the defendants is a minor, Superintendent of Police Sanjiv Suman told PTI: "We are considering...