Guwahati, Assam, December 24 (HBTV): A person allegedly murdered two minor siblings in Assam's Udalguri district on Saturday.

A third-semester student of Tangla College, said to be a stepbrother of the victims, has been arrested in connection with the case. The weapon used in the crime has also been recovered by the police.

The victims, Kaushik Sharma and Gaurav Sharma, were brothers studying in classes VII and VI at Kendriya Jatiya Vidyalaya in Tangla.

According to reports, the victims went missing on Friday morning while on their way to school.

When the school headmaster contacted their mother regarding their absence from the examinations, it became evident that something was amiss.

A frantic search by the family led to an FIR being lodged with Tangla police. On Saturday morning, the bodies of the siblings were recovered in a dense forest a few kilometres from their home, with their throats slit.

The victims' father, Mahendra Sharma, a rickshaw puller, has two wives. His first wife resides in Punjab, while his second wife lives with him and their two children in Jorpukhuri. The accused, the father’s son from his first marriage, lived in a rented house in Tangla town while pursuing a BA degree. 

It is suspected that the stepbrother murdered the siblings due to a family dispute. Injury marks on the victims suggest a deliberate and brutal attack.

Assam Director General of Police GP Singh confirmed the arrest and seizure of the weapon used in the crime. He assured that evidence is being collected as per protocol to ensure a thorough investigation.

The incident prompted protests in Tangla and across Udalguri district.

A teacher said to recall pictures of both of them and that both the children were very nice.  

‘We miss him even at night. Due to this incident we are not able to sleep at night. I can't forget them. The person who commits such a heinous incident must be punished,’ the teacher said.