India's federal
police will investigate the alleged gang rape of a young woman in northern Uttar Pradesh state whose death sparked nationwide protests, the local government said in a statement on Saturday.
The 19-year-old Dalit woman died of her injuries earlier this week, triggering
protests by both opposition political parties and the public in New Delhi and elsewhere against atrocities against a community often ostracized under India's centuries-old caste system.
India is one of the world's most dangerous places for
Women, with a rape occurring on average every 15 minutes based on federal data.