Police in northern India are investigating the deaths of two more women found hanging from trees in separate incidents in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Police said one of the women had been raped and tests were being conducted on the body of the second woman.

Reports said a 19-year-old woman was found hanging Thursday morning from a tree in a village close to the city of Moradabad area, around four hours east of Delhi. Her family told police she was raped and a post-mortem examination was being carried out.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, another woman was found hanged from a tree in loniyarpurwa village, around 60 miles from the city of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh. It is said the 45-year-old woman, who had campaigned against the prevalence of illicit alcohol had been raped before being hanged from a tree.

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Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: India in shock after teenage girls 'gang raped and hanged' Show all 13 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: India in shock after teenage girls 'gang raped and hanged' 1/13 India gang rape Sohan, father and uncle of Murti and Pushpa, the two girls who were raped and hanged in Katra Sadatganj in Uttar Pradesh, is comforted by his mother (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 2/13 India gang rape Murti's mother is briefed by the local Senior Superintendant of Police Atul Saxena (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 3/13 India gang rape Sohan (55) holds passport sized images in his hands of his daughter Murti (right) and niece Pushpa (left) in Katra village, Ushait near Baduan, Uttar Pradesh (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 4/13 India gang rape Murti’s brother Veerendar (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 5/13 India gang rape Villagers stand by the mango tree from which the two girls were hanged (Photo Simon de Trey-White) 6/13 India gang rape Villagers and media throng the home of the murdered teenage girls (Photo Simon de Trey-White) 7/13 India gang rape Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi interacts with women during his visit to the village of the two girls 8/13 India gang rape Demonstrators from All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) hold placards and shout slogans during a protest in New Delhi against the recent killings 9/13 India gang rape Members of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) shout slogans during the protest 10/13 India gang rape Members of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union shout slogans as they participate in a protest against the gang rape 11/13 India gang rape A member of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union shouts slogans 12/13 India gang rape An activist places a candle on a pavement during a candle lit vigil to protest against the gang rape of two teenage girls 13/13 India gang rape Activists hold candles during a vigil 1/13 India gang rape Sohan, father and uncle of Murti and Pushpa, the two girls who were raped and hanged in Katra Sadatganj in Uttar Pradesh, is comforted by his mother (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 2/13 India gang rape Murti's mother is briefed by the local Senior Superintendant of Police Atul Saxena (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 3/13 India gang rape Sohan (55) holds passport sized images in his hands of his daughter Murti (right) and niece Pushpa (left) in Katra village, Ushait near Baduan, Uttar Pradesh (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 4/13 India gang rape Murti’s brother Veerendar (Photo Simon de Trey-White) Simon de Trey-White 5/13 India gang rape Villagers stand by the mango tree from which the two girls were hanged (Photo Simon de Trey-White) 6/13 India gang rape Villagers and media throng the home of the murdered teenage girls (Photo Simon de Trey-White) 7/13 India gang rape Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi interacts with women during his visit to the village of the two girls 8/13 India gang rape Demonstrators from All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) hold placards and shout slogans during a protest in New Delhi against the recent killings 9/13 India gang rape Members of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) shout slogans during the protest 10/13 India gang rape Members of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union shout slogans as they participate in a protest against the gang rape 11/13 India gang rape A member of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union shouts slogans 12/13 India gang rape An activist places a candle on a pavement during a candle lit vigil to protest against the gang rape of two teenage girls 13/13 India gang rape Activists hold candles during a vigil

The state authorities in UP have been under increasing fire since the bodies of two lower-caste girls were found hanging from a mango tree on the edge of their village three weeks ago.

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Police initially said they had been raped and hanged by three brothers from a dominant caste. Investigations are continuing. Two police officers have been fired from their jobs after it was said they abused the relatives of the girls and refused to help them.

This week, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, broke his silence on the issue of violence against women during his first speech to parliament. He urged leaders to stop politicising the incidents.

“All these incident should make us introspect. The country won’t wait and people won’t forget,” he said.

India has been struggling to tackle the problem of sexual violence against women since the 2012 gang-rape and murder of a Delhi student triggered an unprecedented national debate. The 23-year-old woman was assaulted and attacked after boarding an off-duty bus. She died in hospital two weeks later from her injuries.