Crime Brothers Sentenced to Death for Gang Raping Girl, Burning Her in Coal Furnace The teen disappeared on the morning of August 2, 2023, while grazing cattle in her village By Christine Pelisek Christine Pelisek Christine Pelisek is a senior crime writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2014. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 22, 2024 03:24PM EDT Close Photo: Getty Content warning: This story contains disturbing details. Two brothers in India were sentenced to death for gang raping a 14-year-old girl and then burning her alive in a coal furnace. The brothers, identified in published reports only as Kalu, 25, and Kanha, 21, were sentenced Monday, May 20, by a special court for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara District, per the Hindustan Times, the The Hindu and India Today. Seven others were acquitted after being accused of playing a role in disposing of the girl's body, according to The Hindu. Special Public Prosecutor Mahaveer Singh Kishnawat said he planned to appeal the acquittal, per India Today. The teen disappeared on the morning of August 2, 2023, while tending to cattle in her village, per the The Hindu. A search ensued and her family found her shoes near a coal furnace. They found pieces of bone and a charred bracelet inside the burning furnace, according to The Hindu. Police found some of the teen’s body parts in a pond two days later, according to India Today. The brothers, who were caretakers of the coal furnace, admitted to police that after they tossed the victim in the furnace, they disposed of some of her remains in a pond to hinder the police investigation, per The Hindu. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A forensic examination showed that the girl was alive before she was put in the furnace, per India Today. Authorities said she was hit in the head with a stick, per The Hindu. “There is no place for crime and criminals in Rajasthan,” Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma posted on X, according to The Hindu. “If anyone dares to commit a crime, he will not be spared under any circumstances.” If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.