Lucknow, Nov 28 (IANS): The family of the two girls, who were allegedly gang-raped and hung from a tree in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun, Friday expressed shock after the CBI concluded the cousins' death was a case of suicide and not rape and murder.

The family said they did not agree with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s conclusion and wanted the "truth to prevail and the guilty punished".

The father of one of the girls, who was found hung from a mango tree in the village Katra Sadatganj, said the theory of a mutual relationship between the girl and a village boy did not hold water as the agency did not explain why then the other girl committed suicide.

Villagers also claimed that both girls were not depressed on any matter.

"The suicide theory is the most implausible theory," a family member told IANS.

He also questioned how the two minor girls climbed up a 20-foot tree.

Meanwhile, a war of words has erupted after the CBI report which is being seen as a clean chit to the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government which was under attack for the alleged rape and murder of the two girls.

Urban Development Minister Mohd Azam Khan has vented his ire on the media and has asked media persons to apologise publicly for their tirade against the state government over the issue.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, deplored Azam Khan's barbs against the media and pointed out that police had initially declared the minor cousins were gang-raped and murdered.

"Why is the UP government not acting against policemen, including the then Budaun SSP and the UP DGP who confirmed sexual assault, murder and even arrested some of the policemen alleged to be involved in the heinous crime," state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak told IANS.