A 19-year-old Dalit woman who had gone missing on December 31, was found hanging from a tree in Modasa, Gujarat on Sunday, January 5.

The victim’s family has accused four men of gang-raped and murder. After the incident, thousands of Dalits came out in protest in front of the Modasa Rural police station against the crime and demanded the arrest of the culprits and removal of the police officer on duty

The police have registered a case under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Bimal Bharvad, Darshan Bharvad, Satish Bharvad, and Jigar, the four accused in the case.

When the woman’s family approached police on January 3, to file a missing complaint, the police refused to file the first information report and told them the girl is safe and has eloped with a boy from the same community.

On January 5, when the victim’s body was found hanging from a tree, her family members adamantly refused to accept the body without any action from the police department since they claimed it was a murder and not a suicide.

After the body was found, the woman’s family agreed to claim the body after the police filed FIR accusing the four of kidnapping, gangrape and murder.

The body was later sent for postmortem to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

“We have lodged the FIR on the basis of complaint given by the family of the deceased. Our investigation is underway,” said Gandhinagar range Inspector-General Mayanksinh Chavda, reported, The Hindu.

Also Read: UP: Rape Victim Hangs Herself After Police Refuses To File Complaint