Indians demand the death sentence of 2 men accused of raping a 7-year-old girl

NEW DELHI, INDIA – JUNE 30: Member of the AIMSS, AIDSO, AIDYO holds placards and shouts slogans at a protest against the brutal rape of a seven-year-old girl in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh House, Chanakyapuri, June 30, 2018 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Sonu Mehta / Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

(2018 Hindustan Times)

Hundreds of people in parts of central India claim the death penalty for two men arrested for brutally raping a 7-year-old girl and trying to slit her throat with a knife.

blocking transportation and closing businesses while they seek justice for the victim allegedly attacked Tuesday in Mandsaur, a city in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The city is 685 kilometers (425 miles) southwest of New Delhi.

Police say the two men reportedly abducted the child while she was waiting to be picked up at school by her parents. Officials say the girl, who was found bleeding and unconscious on Wednesday with stab wounds from the alleged attack, is in a stable state in a hospital.

Officials said that they were able to make the arrests after watching CCTV videos near the school, the Chief Minister of State, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is among those who claim the death sentence for the two suspects

. "These animals are a burden to the land," he told NDTV. "They do not deserve to live."

He continued: "In the case of rape, we have made provision for the trial in the fast track courts.We will ask the High Court and the Supreme Court to make a similar provision so that the perpetrators of such crimes be punished as soon as possible. "

Crimes against women in India have increased despite tougher laws. India has been shaken by a series of sexual assaults since 2012, when a student was raped and murdered on a moving New Delhi bus

The government passed a series of laws increasing punishment for the rape of an adult to 20 years in prison, but it is rare that more than a few weeks pass without further report of a brutal sexual assault.

Responding to widespread indignation over the recent rape and murder of young girls and other attacks on children, the Indian government recently approved death sentence for those found guilty of murder. have raped children under 12 years old.

Associated Press contributed to this report.