India Muslim women 'raped' in fatal attack 'over beef'

The women were raped in their house in Mewat district

An Indian woman has said that she and her 14-year-old cousin were gang raped and two relatives murdered, after being accused of being Muslims who ate beef.

The woman, 20, told the BBC that four men carried out the attack in northern Haryana state two weeks ago. She denied consuming beef.

She said the men beat her uncle and aunt to death in their home in Mewat.

Many Hindus consider cows sacred and the slaughter of the animal is banned in several states, including Haryana.

The suspects have been arrested and charged with rape and murder.

However police have told reporters that there is no evidence to suggest that cow protection groups were involved in the attack.

Although the alleged rape took place two weeks ago, news of the incident has only just come out.

"They [the accused men] said that we ate cow meat and that is why we were being disgraced [raped]. They even threatened to kill me and my family if we ever told anybody what happened to us," the woman told BBC Urdu.

There is anger in the local community in Mewat after the incident

Muslim-dominated Mewat district, 100km (62 miles) from the capital Delhi, recently made headlines after a senior official told reporters that police would check dishes of mutton biryani to ensure they did not contain beef.

The latest attack has increased tensions.

Rape and gender crimes have been in the spotlight in India in recent years after the brutal gang rape and murder of a student in 2012 in Delhi.

In response, tough new anti-rape laws were introduced in the country.

However, brutal sexual attacks against women and children continue to be reported across the country.