Badaun, Oct 12 (IANS): A woman who was eight months pregnant and her minor sister were axed to death in Sheikhupur village in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district.

The incident took place late on Tuesday night.

As her husband Kamal Singh was away working in Haryana, Lajwati, the 22-year-old pregnant woman, had called her seven-year-old sister Manju to stay with her.

Lajwati and her sister were sleeping in the courtyard when the incident took place.

Police sources said that as per initial investigations, the two brothers of Kamal Singh committed the crime and are absconding.

According to reports, the two brothers used to beat their wives who had complained to the police and the brothers were detained on Tuesday at the police station.

They were later released with a warning.

Their wives were not at home when they returned.

The brothers, sources said, believed that Lajwati was instigating their wives to lodge complaints with the police and decided to teach her and her sister a lesson.

They killed Lajwati and her sister with an axe and fled. They were found dead on Wednesday morning.

Kamal Singh has been informed of the incident and is on his way home from Haryana.

No complaint has yet been field in the case.

Police have sent both the bodies for post-mortem.