Death of Kanpur woman, daughter in fire: Police SIT to probe murder FIR

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the murder FIR registered against 39 people, including the local sub-divisional magistrate and the station house officer, into the death of a 46-year-old woman and her daughter during an anti-encroachment drive at Madauli village in Kanpur Dehat district on February 13.

Pramila Dixit and her daughter Neha (22) were burnt to death after their thatched hut caught fire. This happened when a team of the district administration and police had gone to Madauli village to remove alleged illegal encroachments.

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On Wednesday, the government had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the deaths and constituted an SIT to probe the incident. Family members alleged that officials set the house on fire even as the district administration denied the charge, claiming that the two women set the hut ablaze after locking it from inside. Pramila’s husband Dixit suffered serious burns.