Indian policeman drowns girls for taking firewood

A drunk, upper-caste Indian policeman has killed two low-caste girls by throwing them in a river in eastern India for stealing firewood from his orchard.

On Wednesday, Chandani Kumari, six, and Kamali Kumari, 13, sneaked into the policeman's orchard in Manipur village in Bihar state along with some friends.

Catastrophic monsoon flooding in the region has made food and fuel scarce.

The policeman caught Chandani and Kamali and threw them in a fast-moving river with the help of a friend, a senior state official said.

Police are looking for the men, both of whom have fled the village.

Upper-caste people in rural areas often treat those at the bottom of the Hindu caste system as lesser human beings. Low-caste people in India endure a disproportionate number of beatings, rapes and killings.

- Reuters