A man preserved the body of his daughter in a salt pan for 44 days in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district, alleging that she was raped before being killed. The man also demanded a second post-mortem, PTI reported quoting police officials. Salt inhibits the process of decomposition.
The 21-year-old tribal woman was found hanging at Vavi in Dhadgaon taluka of Nandurbar on August 1. The woman's father had then claimed that she was raped by four men, PTI reported.
On Thursday, after locals alerted the police about the body of the woman being kept in a salt pan, it was brought to the state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai from Nandurbar district. A second post-mortem was conducted on Friday.
"A post-mortem was conducted in JJ Hospital here in the early hours of Friday. The opinion has been reserved and the viscera (large internal organs) has been preserved. The body, which was on the verge of decomposing, has been handed over to the kin and a report given to the Dhadgaon police station in Nandurbar," a police official told PTI.
"Some organs have been sent for chemical analysis, which will help police get a final opinion in the case," the official further said.
The first post-mortem, conducted in a state-run hospital in Nandurbar, had ruled out foul play. A case of suicide was then registered.
However, the kin of the woman had alleged irregularities in the probe and preserved the corpse.
"The family buried her body in a pit filled with salt in their village in Dhadgaon as they sought a second post-mortem in order to bring the truth out about her death. As the body was kept in a slat pit for weeks, authorities agreed to conduct another post- mortem at JJ Hospital," the official further said.
On Wednesday, based on the statement of her father before the magistrate, the Nandurbar Police registered a case under sections 302 (murder) and 376 (punishment for rape). Three accused have been arrested.
Meanwhile, police said they have recovered mobile phone communication of the deceased woman with her relative.
As per this communication, the deceased told the relative the main accused and his friends had physically assaulted her and that she did not wish to live anymore, police said.
(With PTI inputs)