With the level of river Ganga rising, the CBI has begun exhuming the bodies of the victims of the alleged rape and murder of two girls in UP's Badaun district. CBI had earlier planned to carry out the process tomorrow. But the rising levels of Ganga threatened to inundate the graves and the medical board constituted by the Investigative agency has decided to do it today itself. CBI sources said the agency has made all the arrangements to conduct fresh autopsy near the graves unless there is a compelling reason to do post-mortem elsewhere.

The board of three-forensic experts had earlier recommended that fresh autopsy is needed before forming any opinion which will necessitate exhumation of bodies.

Earlier, concerns were raised by locals that level of Ganga river, which flows adjacent to the grave of the minors, is rising because of heavy rains in Uttarakhand and might inundate it.

The need for fresh autopsy was felt after the postmortem report of the local doctor was only suggestive of rape without conclusively proving it.

Highly-placed sources in the agency said the first post-mortem was conducted at night, which is usually against laid down procedures. Post-mortem is not conducted after sunset except in emergency cases.

The postmortem was also reportedly conducted by a lady doctor who had apparently no prior experience of it.

The two cousins, aged 14 and 15, went missing from their house on the night of May 27 and their bodies were found hanging from a tree in the village in Ushait area the next day.

The incident has sparked a nationwide outrage.