Lucknow, Oct 23 (IANS) A 14-year-old Dalit girl was gang raped and killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district. The two men involved in the crime have been arrested, police said Friday.

The incident took place Thursday evening in Shahpur village of Muzaffarnagar, about 350 km from Lucknow.

‘Two friends Salim and Kalim – both residents of Shahpur village – abducted the girl while she was returning from the fields and raped her at a secluded place. Later, they strangulated the girl to death,’ Deputy Superintendent of Police S.K. Shukla told IANS.

‘Both the men, who are in their mid 20s, have confessed to the crime. They were nabbed on the outskirts of Shahpur village late Thursday,’ he added.

As the semi-naked body of the 14-year-old girl was recovered from the fields Thursday evening, a large number of villagers, mostly from the Dalit community, staged demonstration at the police station of the area, demanding arrest of the men involved in the incident.

While carrying out the protest, villagers also scuffled with police and tried to damage their vehicles.

‘In wake of the protests by the members of Dalit communities, additional security has been deployed in the village. We don’t want to take any chance,’ Superintendent of Police (rural) Raju Babu told reporters.