Bidar, Sep 6 (IANS): Three persons were arrested on Thursday for their alleged involvement in the rape and murder of a 19-year-old girl belonging to the Scheduled Caste community in Karnataka's Bidar district, an official said.

Bidar Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gunti, said that a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been filed along with rape and murder charges.

"Of the three accused, one hails from the same village (as that of the girl). The other two are from a neighbouring village. All the three are arrested, and legal action is initiated against them," the police officer said, adding the incident happened in the Basavakalyan taluk.

According to police, the girl was missing since August 29.

The girl's parents tried to trace her for two days. On August 31, they filed a complaint with the police.

The body was eventually found in a bush on September 1.

A deep head injury mark was spotted on her head.

Following the recovery of the body, the police registered a murder case.

Rape charges were added to the case after the postmortem and forensic tests.

The police had then launched a hunt for the accused and managed to apprehend them.

On Thursday, several groups, organisations and the opposition BJP in Karnataka condemned the incident and staged a protest demanding justice for the victim and her family.

The police learned during the probe that the victim knew the prime accused, and both were friends.

The investigation revealed that the main accused had come in a car to pick up the victim along with two other accused individuals.

Since then, she never returned home, following which her parents got worried and began looking for her. After they failed to learn about her whereabouts, they approached the police.

Further investigation into the case is underway, a police officer said.