Crowd protests at India murders

The skulls of 17 people - most of them children - and other human remains have been found in a drain in the area.

A local businessman and his servant have been arrested and charged with multiple rape, murder and abduction.

Five senior police officers have been suspended, accused of ignoring people's fears over missing children.

Groups of protesters pelted police with stones while TV footage showed a female protester being hit by a policewoman.

The two women were filmed hitting and clawing each other, and pulling at each other's hair.

The enraged mob attacked several other police personnel, hurling stones at them.

Several policemen picked up the stones which were thrown at them and hurled them back at the mob.

They also used batons to chase away the crowd.

Emotions are running very high in an area where dozens of children have disappeared over the last two years.

Angry parents and other residents say the police ignored their concerns and allowed the crimes to continue for two years.

'Negligence'

On Sunday, local residents forced their way into the house where the accused businessman lived.

They hurled bricks and vandalised the building, where diggers have uncovered human skeletons in the back garden and plastic bags containing body parts in the front drain.

A total of 17 skulls have been discovered. Many of the victims are believed to have been sexually assaulted before being killed.

Police said they began digging around the house on Friday after a domestic servant who worked there admitted that he had raped and killed several children.

The children were reported to have been lured to the house with promises of sweets while the women were offered jobs.

Neighbours are reported to have contacted the police after smelling a foul stench coming from the drain outside the house.

The search for more remains continues. Local people say that almost 40 children have disappeared during recent months.