Cops Bust 5 in Gang Rape of Photojournalist

Police today arrested the last of five men wanted in the gang rape of a photojournalist in Mumbai, and said charges would be filed soon in a case that has incensed the public and fueled debate over whether women can be safe in India. The victim, a 22-year-old Indian woman, said she was anxious to return to work after Thursday night's assault, in which five men repeatedly raped her while her male colleague was beaten and tied up in an abandoned textile mill. "Rape is not the end of life," the woman was quoted today by the Times of India as saying.

A statement from Jaslok Hospital said she is "much better" and is being visited by family. Police arrested the fifth suspect today in New Delhi, after rounding up the other four in Mumbai. "We will file a comprehensive charge sheet soon," said Mumbai's police commissioner, assuring that police had the evidence to prosecute. Under intense pressure, police have acted quickly to hunt down the five suspects. Home Minister RR Patil visited a Mumbai police station last night, and the government has urged the harshest punishment for those found guilty. The five suspects—including two picked up overnight and two arrested earlier—are likely to face prosecution under a strict new law that sets the maximum prison term for rape at 20 years. (More India stories.)