Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Jan 31 (IANS): The body of the 20-year-old brother of a rape victim was found hanging from a tree here.

The girl's family had been warned not to go to the police or else they would face consequences.

The rape victim, a Dalit, had been allegedly gang-raped by three men, including the husband of the incumbent pradhan of Aurangabad village of Bhawanpur, six months ago.

The survivor's father said, "My daughter was violated in August last year by three men. Since then, immense pressure has been put on us to withdraw the case by them. Two of the men are history-sheeters and have criminal antecedents."

Ravikant, who runs Shoshit Kranti Dal, an NGO that fights against Dalit oppression, said, "The accused were pressuring the girl's family to turn hostile. She was gang-raped on August 27, 2022, but the police took almost a month to file an FIR."

The NGO has written to the National Commission for SC and ST, saying police were not taking prompt action in the matter.

"First, they took so long to file an FIR in the rape case and now 24 hours have passed since the brother's body was found, but the police have not registered a complaint," said Ravikant.

Circle officer (Civil Lines) Arvind Chaurasia, who has been probing the case, said, "Soon after the FIR was filed, the three accused were booked under IPC, POCSO Act and sections of SC/ST Act. Two of the three accused are in jail. The third accused had applied for bail from the HC which was rejected a week ago."