There has been shock and outrage in India over the gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a city bus in the capital, Delhi.
The student and a male friend she was traveling with were beaten, stripped and thrown off the bus. The couple have been admitted to hospital, where the woman is said to be in a critical condition. Police have arrested the driver of the bus and detained several people.
The woman and her friend had boarded the bus from Munirka area and were on their way to Dwarka in southwest Delhi. They were returning after watching a film in a shopping center in south Delhi. The couple were attacked by "at least four men," police said.
"City Shamed" was the headline in The Times of India, saying that the incident was a new low for a city already notorious as India's rape capital. "Delhi Shamed Again" said The Pioneer, reporting that the incident had "again renewed focus on the dismal state of safety for girls and women who venture out at night".
The Indian Express said the bus was driven around on a stretch in south Delhi for more than an hour after the attack and had "crossed" three police patrol vans. The Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit told reporters, "We want to ensure that the culprits are not granted bail under any circumstances. Stringent punishment for them is the need of the hour" Dikshit said she would be considering the setting up of a fast track court to "ensure speedy justice to the victim".
