| CNN | - |
New
Delhi (CNN) -- Indian authorities arrested two more men in the
gang-rape of two teenage girls found hanging from a mango tree in a
rural northern village.
2 more men arrested in gang-rape of teens left hanging from tree in India
updated 2:12 AM EDT, Sat May 31, 2014
Do women feel safe in India?
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The shocking attack on the cousins ages 14 and 16 sparks outrage worldwide
- The two arrested are a police constable and one of three brothers
- A total of five men are in custody so far: three brothers and two police officers
- All five men are facing rape and murder charges, authorities say
Angry villagers
surrounded the bodies for hours when they were found Wednesday, accusing
police of siding with the suspects and blocking them from taking the
girls down.
The allegations fueled anger in the community, but calm was restored after authorities promised to take action.
The arrests of a police
constable and another man on Friday night bring the number of suspects
in custody to five, authorities said.
All five men -- three
brothers and two police officers -- are facing rape and murder charges,
said R.K.S. Rathore, a senior police officer.
More charges
In addition to the rape
and murder charges, the police officers have been charged with
conspiracy in the crime and negligence of duty, but the prosecution may
review the counts as the investigation progresses, he said.
The shocking attack on the cousins ages 14 and 16 sparked outrage in Katra Sadatganj village and beyond.
A photo from the village
in Uttar Pradesh state showed the body of one girl, dressed in a green
tunic and pants, hanging from the tree. A crowd that included young
children gathered around the grisly scene.
Police said an autopsy
confirmed the girls had been raped and strangled. They were cremated
Wednesday night in line with Hindu customs, said Mukesh Saxena, a local
police official.
Police under scrutiny
The girls were out in the orchard relieving themselves Tuesday night when the attackers grabbed them, authorities said.
Some people saw the abduction, but were unable to stop it, Saxena said, citing eyewitnesses.
The victims' relatives
accused local police of failing to respond and siding with the suspects
when the parents reported the case. The allegations have fueled anger
among the villagers.
'Endemic' violence
The horrific gang rape
and murder of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi in late 2012 shook India,
focusing sharp attention on violent crimes against women in the
country, the world's second most populous after China.
The case prompted
protests in many cities, soul-searching in the media and changes to the
law. But shocking instances of sexual violence continue to come to
light.
"Laws can only do so
much when you have to end something which is as endemic and as
entrenched as violence against women," said Divya Iyer, a senior
researcher for Amnesty International in Bangalore, India.
The country's new Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi, has said he wants to take steps to ensure women
are safe, particularly in rural India. But women's rights groups have
criticized what they say is a lack of specific proposals to tackle the
problem, suggesting gender inequality doesn't appear to be high on his
list of priorities.
CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New
Delhi, and Faith Karimi reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Jethro
Mullen contributed to this report
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