Indian police use water cannons against women protesting sexual violence, police indifference

NEW DELHI – Police have used water cannons to disperse hundreds of women who were protesting against a rise in violence against women in northern India where two teenagers were gang-raped and later found hanging from a tree last week.

The protesters Monday were demonstrating outside the office of the top elected official in Uttar Pradesh, demanding that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav crack down on increasing rape and other attacks on women and girls.

They also demanded the government act to curb police laxity and indifference, which they said were encouraging attacks on women.

Police failed to take any action when the father of one of the girls had complained that the two cousins were missing. Two police officers were fired for dereliction of duty after the girls were found gang-raped and killed.