4 booked for murder, gang-rape of SC girl in Gujarat

Three days after a 19-year-old girl belonging to schedule caste was found hanging from a tree in a village in Modasa taluka of Aravalli district in north Gujarat, the local police on Tuesday registered an FIR against four persons belonging to the upper caste community of the village for allegedly kidnapping, gang-raping and murdering her.

The FIR came after protest from the victim's relatives and community members demanded it before conducting the autopsy. The victim's family has alleged that their daughter was abducted and raped by four men, and despite reporting a missing case, the local police inspector didn't take any action.

On Sunday, when the body of the victim was found, the police had registered the incident as a case of accidental death. This angered the relatives who started protesting for lodging an FIR. Police officers said there was not enough evidence suggesting the involvement of the suspects named by the girl's father.

Under pressure from the protest, the police registered the FIR against four persons identified as Bimal, Darshan, Satish and Jigar for kidnapping, gang-rape and murder along with various sections of atrocity act.

"We have registered the case as narrated by the victim's relatives and investigating the case from all the angles. We are waiting for post-mortem report," said Mayanksinh Chavda, Inspector General of Police, Gandhinagar range under whose jurisdiction Aravalli district falls. District Superintendent of Police Mayur Patil told DH: "We can't say anything as on today. But we will solve the case shortly."

The victim had gone missing on January 1. Police said she was seen in the village the next day but didn't return home. On January 3, her father informed the police. Two days later, she was spotted dead, hanging from the tree, by a priest, who informed everyone.