Ayodhya (UP), Feb 3 (PTI) An unclothed body of a 22-year-old Dalit woman, who was missing, was found in a desolate canal near her village in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, with her family alleging murder, police said on Saturday.

The family members claimed that her eyes were missing and that the body bore deep wounds and fractures.

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According to the family, the woman had been missing since Thursday night. They launched a search and her brother-in-law found her body in a small canal, 500 metres away from the village for on Saturday morning, police said.

Her limbs were tied with ropes, and her body had multiple deep cuts, they claimed.

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Villagers who draped and transported the body noticed a fractured leg, while her elder sister and two women collapsed upon witnessing the horrific condition of the body.

Circle Officer Ashutosh Tiwari said that after receiving a complaint on Friday, police registered a missing report.

Now that the body has been recovered, post-mortem report to will determine further action, he added.

"Once we receive the post-mortem findings, we will proceed accordingly," he told PTI.

The woman's family has accused police of inaction, alleging that officers did not actively search for her despite the missing report.

A large crowd gathered at the scene after the body was found, demanding swift justice.

Police have launched an investigation, and efforts are underway to identify those responsible.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)