A teenage boy accused of sexually harassing a schoolgirl in Uttar Pradesh was found hanging from a tree in a village fruit orchard just hours after the allegation was made, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Friday evening, according to local police. The boy, who was a Class 12 student, was found dead after residents discovered his body in an orchard in the village. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, and police have not yet reached a final conclusion about what happened.
According to police, members of the schoolgirl’s family went to the teenager’s home on Friday morning and confronted the family over allegations that he had attacked the girl and behaved inappropriately towards her. The family subsequently contacted India’s emergency response service by dialling 112 to report the matter.
Several hours later, villagers came across the teenager’s body hanging from a tree in a nearby fruit orchard. They alerted the authorities, following which police officers arrived at the scene along with members of the boy’s family and other local residents.
A forensic team was also called to the site. Investigators collected evidence from the area as part of the initial inquiry. The body was subsequently sent for a post-mortem examination, which is expected to provide further information about the circumstances and cause of death.
The case has taken another turn after the teenager’s father filed a complaint naming seven people as accused. He alleged that members of the schoolgirl’s family had visited their home earlier in the day, questioned his son and later killed him. He has demanded strict punishment for those whom he believes were involved in his son’s death.
The allegations made by the two families are now central to the police investigation. While the schoolgirl’s family accused the teenager of sexual harassment, his family has alleged that he was subsequently killed. Police will have to establish whether the death was a suicide, a homicide or the result of another set of circumstances.
Local police officer Umed Singh said the schoolgirl’s family had raised the sexual harassment allegation against the teenager on Friday morning. The discovery of his body followed later that same day.
Police have said that all possible angles are being examined. Investigators are expected to consider the statements of the families and other witnesses, evidence recovered from the orchard and the findings of the post-mortem examination before determining the next course of action.
At this stage, the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death have not been conclusively established. The investigation remains ongoing, while the post-mortem report and other evidence are expected to help police determine what led to his death and whether anyone else was responsible.
