Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 18 (IANS): The preliminary post mortem report on Thursday of the two Dalit girls who were found dead in their field on Wednesday night, has confirmed "death due to poisoning".

According to official sources, further tests were being carried out to ascertain the kind of poison that caused the death.

Meanwhile, the third girl, who is undergoing treatment at the Regency Hospital in Kanpur, continues to remain critical.

District Magistrate Unnao, Ravindra Kumar, has sent a letter to the private hospital informing that the entire cost of the girl's treatment would be borne by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Activists of the Bhim Army had for sometime gheraoed the hospital demanding that the girl be shifted to Delhi for advanced treatment. They were later dispersed but police presence has now been increased at the hospital.

Sources said that local villagers staged a dharna in the village where the incident took place as a protest but were sent back by the police. Barricades have been set up near the houses of the victims and no one is being allowed to meet the bereaved families.