SITAMARHI, Aug. 13 -- A chilling case of a suspected rape and murder came to light in Sitamarhi district on Tuesday morning, where the bodies of a woman and her minor daughter were found handing from a mango tree, police said. Police further said that the incident occurred at Patdaura village which falls under the jurisdiction of Bajpatti police station of the district. The woman appeared to be around 35 years old, while the girl was estimated to be about seven. Neither has been identified so far. The bodies were detected by local women heading to fields to collect fodder for cattle. They immediately alerted villagers, following which a crowd gathered and the police were informed. Following the incident, Bajpatti Station House Officer (SHO) Sukhwinder Nain reached the spot with a police team and initiated an investigation. Preliminary examination suggested murder. Police said both the victims were tied with the ends of the same saree. The woman's body was unclothed from the waist down, her blouse torn, hair dishevelled, and tongue protruding - signs indicating possible sexual assault and struggle. The girl was wearing a top and skirt; her feet touched the ground, and her tongue too was protruding. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team collected evidence from the scene. Police are checking missing person reports in nearby police stations to ascertain their identities. "Prima facie, it appears to be a case of rape followed by murder, but the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem," the SHO told HT, adding that all possible angles are being probed. The identities of the deceased were yet to be ascertained till filing of this report on Tuesday....