Allahabad, Dec 7 (PTI) Two more people have been arrested in connection with the murder of four members of a Dalit family in Gohri village of Prayagraj, police said on Tuesday.
A 50-year-old man, his 45-year-old wife, and their two kids, a daughter, aged 17, and a son, 13, were murdered with sharp weapons while they were asleep in the village under the Phaphamau police station area of Prayagraj on the night of November 24.
Recordings, chats and objectionable photos were found in the mobile phones of the two people, Shashi Patel and Rajneesh Patel, who were arrested on Monday, Superintendent of Police (Gangapar) Abhishek Kumar Agrawal said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway and a charge sheet will be filed under appropriate sections.
He said some forensic investigation reports are pending, and they have been sent to jail for not cooperating in the probe.
Earlier, the police had arrested a person named Pawan Saroj. According to them, Saroj belongs to the same community as the deceased and had been harassing the girl by sending messages on her mobile phone. He was arrested on the basis of circumstantial evidence.
Out of the 11 people accused in the case, four had already been arrested and sent to jail in an old case lodged by the relatives of the victims.
Earlier, Additional Director General of Police (Prayagraj Zone) Prem Prakash had said it has been confirmed that the girl was raped before being killed.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions from the opposition parties, who have criticised the state government over the law and order situation while terming it "anti-Dalit".
Following the outrage, Phaphamau police station in-charge Ram Kewal Patel, and head constable Sushil Singh were suspended for not taking seriously a complaint of the victim's family before the murder and for dereliction of duty.
