A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was strangled to death and her eyes gouged out after her parents allegedly failed to repay a loan of Rs 10,000 in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, police have said, adding that two accused have been arrested.

Police also denied reports of rape, saying a team of doctors had been constituted to conduct a post-mortem examination. “A case of kidnapping was registered on May 31. The accused have been arrested and they have confessed to the crime. It was a case of personal enmity but there is no sign of rape. The minor was strangled to death and her eyes were gouged out. The accused are in jail now,” Akash Kulhari, SSP Aligarh, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

According to media reports, the family and relatives of the deceased blocked roads to protest against the incident and were later pacified by senior police officials.