Mumbai gangrape: Police arrests 1, hunt on for 4 others

Police claim to have solved the gangrape case of a 23-year-old photojournalist by arresting one accused and say they have identified the four others involved in the crime. The four other accused will be arrested soon, say senior Mumbai Police officers.

All the accused are in early 20s with Congress leader Murli Deora saying that Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh informing him that the case has been cracked. Deora added that one of those arrested has confessed to the crime.

They police had earlier released the sketches of all five accused who raped the photojournalist in the city on Thursday evening. The survivor, who is working with an English magazine, and her male colleague were on an assignment on Thursday evening when they were accosted by the culprits.

The girl and her friend gave some details of the assailants on the basis of which sketches were prepared and released. Over a dozen police team have fanned out across the city and a massive manhunt has been launched to arrest the culprits.

The men bound and gagged her male colleague and then they raped the woman at 6:30 pm. Later, the rape survivor managed to break free and went to Jaslok Hospital at about 8 pm.

The hospital informed Mumbai Police and a case of gangrape was registered in NM Joshi Marg police station and 25 suspects have been detained. The police have recorded the statement of both the girl and her colleague.

The girl also named two of the suspects, police said. The girl told police that two of them were calling each other as Rupesh and Sajid, they said, adding that some drug addicts have been picked up from the area for questioning. The girl's male colleague has been taken back to the scene of the crime and around 45 people have been questioned so far.

The girl in her statement said that while they were taking photographs, the duo was approached by two men who asked her if she had permission to shoot. They subsequently took her to meet with the people who they claimed were authorities of the place.

Another man joined them and then they attacked her. The girl was also threatened that they will kill if she shouted. The men had broken beer bottles in their hand.

She also told police said the culprits were present in the Shakti Mills compound. They started making lewd remarks and harassed her. When her friend intervened, two of them assaulted him. Three others took the woman inside the dilapidated structure and raped her.

Preliminary reports suggested that she has sustained multiple internal injuries, police said. A medical bulletin will be released in a few hours.
Dr Taran Gyanchandani, acting CEO of the hospital, said, "We are doing the needful...she is under strict observation. At the moment we can't say anything."

Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said, "The case will be investigated very seriously. The accused will be caught very soon." He told reporters outside the hospital. He said Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh has been directed to ensure that the culprits are arrested soon. In a statement given to police, the girl said the five culprits were present in the Shakti Mills compound.

In the first 4 months of this year, there has been a rape in Mumbai every day.

(With additional inputs from PTI)