Three people have been arrested today for burning alive two Dalit children in Fardiabad, UP, yesterday. The bodies of both children will reach the village today.

A nine-month-old girl and her toddler brother from a Dalit family were burnt alive in Faridabad after their house was set on fire early on Tuesday, allegedly by upper-caste Rajput men over a long-standing caste feud, triggering tensions in the area.

The shocking incident occurred at around 2.30 am on Tuesday at Sunped village on the outskirts of Delhi, the police said, adding two persons have been arrested.

Eleven persons, including a father-son duo, have been booked on murder, rioting and other charges, a police spokesman said.

Vaibhav, who was two-and-a-half years old, and his sister, 11-month-old Divya, died after the attackers allegedly poured petrol from the window and set the house ablaze while the family was sleeping inside.

A religious programme was being held nearby in the village at that time. Their mother Rekha, 28, suffered serious burns and has been referred to Delhi for treatment while their father Jitender, 31, too suffered injuries while trying to save his family.

Concerned over the attack on the Dalit family, Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Khattar over phone asking him to ensure security to everyone and prevent any recurrence of such incident, officials said in Delhi. The Union Home ministry also sought a report from the state administration.