India to probe rape and murder of 17 women and children

The Indian government today ordered a high-level inquiry into how authorities handled the serial killings of at least 17 children and women in the past two years in a New Delhi suburb.

Their decomposed bodies were recovered from the backyard of a house on the outskirts of the Indian capital last week.

The investigating committee, comprising officials of the federal home and women and child welfare ministries and Uttar Pradesh state government, will submit its findings within 15 days, said spokesman NC Joshi.

There has been widespread outrage in India since police on Friday began recovering human remains from drains next to a house in Noida.

So far, authorities say they’ve found the remains of at least 17 people, although residents of the area say a total of 38 people have gone missing in the past two years.