Rapes by Gangs to be Investigated

Shall investigate mass rape

For several days,  enraged women and men demonstrated in protest against the gang rape of a 23 year old woman in New Delhi. She was thrown out of the bus after the assault. The man she was with, was seriously injured when he tried to stop the assault. The woman was beaten with an iron bar and is still seriously injured in hospital.

According to the police investigation and other reports rape took place in over 40 minutes behind the bus, which had stopped to take on board the two victims of a theater performance.

Stricter penalties

Reactions were powerful when people became aware of what had happened. Several thousand demonstrated in protest against violence against women. A policeman was seriously injured in the collision and later died of the injuries he received.

Now, says government spokesman, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, a former judge, Usha Mehra, has agreed to head a commission of inquiry.

- The investigation will identify any omissions in the police or in others. They also suggest new and stricter penalties, the minister said after a government conference Wednesday.

He said that the Commission will present its report in 30 days.

Ten men raped for two hours

Also Wednesday, there were demonstrations in the Indian capital. Around 200 people, including women and school children, showed up in the center of town where they shouted slogans against the government.

On Christmas Eve, ten men in the more sparsely populated area Tamil Nadu have assaulted the male companion of a woman, before they took turns raping her for two hours.

- The woman and the man sat by the river bank Monday night when they were attacked. We have arrested ten suspects and they are charged with rape, said Police Chief A. Radhika told AFP.

The woman is in the hospital, her condition stable.