A four-year-old girl was found dead and her seven-year-old cousin sister was found unconscious in a field in Kaanth area of Shahjahanpur district on Monday, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the four-year-old girl died of a head injury after being hit by a blunt object, while her cousin had strangulation marks on her neck along with a head injury.

IG Bareilly (Range) Rajesh Pandey said while there was no sign of a sexual assault on the four-year-old, the clothes of the seven-year-old were found to be removed from below the waist, suggesting an attempt of sexual assault.

“The doctors who examined the seven-year-old have confirmed that she does not have any injury in her private parts and there was no intercourse. The other injuries on both the girls clearly suggest that the accused had left them assuming to be dead,” Pandey said.

The seven-year-old, who also suffered a head injury, has been admitted to the district hospital. “A team of doctors are attending to her. If needed, she can be referred to another hospital. As per the latest health report, her situation is getting better and her CT scan did not suggest any complication,” Superintendent of Police (Shahjahanpur) S Anand said.

According to police, the girls had left their home to attend Urdu classes nearby around 3.30 pm. “They generally used to return at 6 pm but when they did not, their family members started looking for them. They found the four-year-old dead in a neighbouring village around a km away. The girl had a serious head injury. Police soon reached the spot. Later, around 11.30 pm, her cousin sister was found alive but badly injured in a nearby field,” Anand added.

Suspecting the involvement of some residents of the area, police have rounded up a dozen people, including those who were playing volleyball near the spot from where the girls were found. They are being questioned as the investigation is on, said a senior officer.

Additional SP (Shahjahanpur City) Sanjay Kumar said an FIR has been filed against unidentified persons under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender).