INDIAN women protested in the capital New Delhi today against the release of 11 men who gang-raped a pregnant Muslim woman and murdered her family.

Bilkis Bano, now in her forties, was brutally attacked during religious riots in 2002 in the western state of Gujarat, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed over three days.

Fourteen members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, were killed.

The men, who were convicted of rape, murder and unlawful assembly in 2008, were freed by the Gujarat state government on Monday, when India celebrated 75 years of independence.

Videos on social media showing the men being welcomed with sweets and garlands after their release from prison went viral, triggering outrage.

Maimoona Mollah of the All India Democratic Women’s Association said that her organisation was demanding that the decision be reversed.

“[Ms Bano] and other survivors should be allowed to live in peace and dignity,” Ms Mollah said.

Lawyer Vrinda Grover branded the men’s release a “travesty and grave miscarriage of justice.”

Opposition politician Rahul Gandhi took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter, questioning “what kind of message it sent to women in India from a government that says it wants to empower women.”

Mr Modi was Gujarat chief minister when the riots took place, and has long been accused of helping to orchestrate the violence.

He has denied wrongdoing and offered no apology for the riots.

Gujarat Additional Chief Secretary Raj Kumar said that the men’s application for remission had been accepted as they had served 14 years in prison.

However, a federal law passed in 2014 prohibits the remission release of those convicted of crimes such as rape and murder.

Ms Bano said the decision had left her numb and shaken her faith in justice.

“How can justice for a woman end like this? I trusted the highest courts in our land,” she said in a statement on Wednesday night adding that no authorities had contacted her before making the decision.

“Please undo this harm. Give me back my right to live without fear and in peace.”

The riots began after 60 Hindu pilgrims died in a fire on a passenger train.

Hindu mobs blamed Muslims for the blaze and attacked Muslim neighbourhoods.