The body of a 15-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree on Saturday after she was allegedly gang-raped in the north-Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The victim was reported to have gone missing a day earlier from her village.
The victim was allegedly kidnapped by three men from the same village who then raped and killed her and later hanged her body from a tree to make it appear like a suicide.
One of the accused was known to the victim and had allegedly asked her to meet him.
Police have arrested two men in connection with the crime. A manhunt has been launched to nab the third accused.
Parents of the victim alleged that the police did not heed their complaint initially and only acted after the incident was reported by the media.
“I have issued stern directives to nab the third accused. Keeping the sensitivity of the case in mind, four constables have been suspended,” said a senior police officer.
The officer also said that a post-mortem has confirmed that the victim was raped and strangled.