#JusticeForJisha: Kerala police detain three suspects

The Kerala police detained three men on Tuesday in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit law student at her home near Kochi last week. Two of the suspects were the woman's neighbours, according to the police.

The woman's body had been discovered by her mother on 28 April when she returned from work. The autopsy showed she had been brutally assaulted with sharp weapons after being raped. Her body had at least 30 cuts; her abdomen was slashed and her intestines had fallen out.

According to the woman's mother, the two of them had been afraid that such a tragedy would occur. "We had complained to the police about the danger to our lives. The tragedy could have been averted had they taken timely action," she said, without, however, specifying what kind of danger they thought they would face.

The crime at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district is being compared to the savage rape of a young woman on a moving bus in Delhi on 16 December, 2012, according to the Hindustan Times.

Kerala chief minister Oomen Chandy said: "Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to them."

However, opposition parties accuse the Congress-led government of allowing crimes against women to rise in the state, and CPI(M) party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said: "Police have failed to get any leads about the culprits even five days after the incident."

Women's rights groups and students demanding justice for Jisha took to the streets, while others began a social media campaign for added pressure.