Rape and killing of 3 young sisters shocks India

NEW DELHI:  Police say investigators are searching villages in western India for suspects in the rape and killing of three youngsisters.

The killing of the girls aged 7, 9 and 11 last week has horrified Indians still angry over the gang rape and killing of a student on a moving bus in New Delhi in December. The youngest girl had earlier been erroneously identified by Indian news reports as a 5-year-old.

The girls’ bodies were found six days ago in a village well in Bhandara district in Maharashtra after they had gone missing from school.

The victims’ mother said police did not take the case seriously and did nothing for several days until villagers held protests.

Police officer Abhinav Deshmukh said Friday that 30 investigators are now working on the case.