16-Year-Old's Eye Gouged Out Before Being Hanged On Tree; Family Suspects Rape

The body of a 16-year-old girl in India was found Wednesday hanging from a tree with her right eye gouged out.

The incident took place in the state of Jharkhand, and a man was arrested in connection with the case. The girl's family alleged she was raped before being killed; however, the police have not commented on the allegation.

The victim is the eldest child of a politician, who is part of the ruling party of India (Bharatiya Janata Party). Her father's identity has not been revealed, media outlet OpIndia reported. The girl had left her house Monday, and when she did not return, the family filed a missing report Tuesday, following which a search operation was launched.

The girl's body was later found in Lalimati forest near Budhabar village in Palamu district, India Today reported. The police said preliminary investigation showed the girl was mercilessly beaten and her right eye was gouged out before she was killed. Her body was later hung from a tree using a cloth to make it look like a suicide, authorities said.

The victim's body was sent to the Medini Rai Medical College in Medininagar for an autopsy. Later, the police handed over the body to the family, and the victim was cremated Wednesday evening.

The exact cause of death would be revealed after the autopsy report was out.

"The police is investigating the matter from all possible angles," senior police officer Sanjeev Kumar said, adding they believe the victim might have been involved with a man.

"The victim's family was strongly opposed to it. There is information about a heated exchange of words and scuffle between the family and the victim a few days back, after which the victim went missing," he added.

The police said they did a preliminary analysis of call data records of a mobile phone recovered from the scene of the crime, which led to the arrest of a man. The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Pradeep Dhanuk, could likely be connected to the case. Authorities said it is believed Dhanuk had accomplices.

Despite strict laws being imposed in the country in the last few years, crimes against women have been on the rise.