Fourteen men have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, gang raping and burning a teenage girl alive in India.
The 16-year-old was attending a wedding ceremony when the men struck in the village of Raja Kendua in the Chatra district of the eastern Jharkhand state, District Magistrate Jitendera Singh said.
The men allegedly raped her before letting her go home.
In retaliation, the group of men are alleged to have beaten up the girl’s parents and burned the teenager to death after finding her at her home alone.The next day, the village council leaders imposed a fine of 50,000 rupees (£553) on those accused of being behind of the crime.
Police told the Hindustan Times a medical board was carrying out an autopsy on her body.
Mr Singh said police were still searching for the main suspect. He is one of four men allegedly linked to the incident still reported to be on the run.
“Raids are being conducted to nab him and others at the earliest. We are also probing the role of other locals in the incident,” Shambhu Thakur, the inspector general of the local police force, told the Hindustan Times.
Police have put in place security arrangements in the village to prevent any escalation following the incident and the girl’s family has been accorded extra protection.
