Indians react to rape of journalist

(Vatican Radio) The entire press corps in Mumbai has reacted with rage and anguish over the multiple rape of a 22-year-old photo-journalist in a deserted mill compound in downtown Lower Parel on Thursday evening. Seeing the incident as an indication of a serious problem of crime control, journalists and photographers across publications and platforms, from print, through online to broadcast, gathered at the iconic Flora Fountain, more than 600 of them, to register their strong criticism of both the state government of Maharashtra and the police.

As of Friday evening, one out of five men had been traced through a continuous operation aimed at sweeping up the streets. The men have been described as drug addicts and the police are continuing to search diligently for the remaining suspects. The journalist herself has been admitted in hospital where her condition is said to be stable, though she suffered injuries.

The incident unfolded around 6 pm in broad daylight, another fact that has incensed people, particularly her colleagues. Accompanied by a young male friend, the girl entered the compound from the railway tracks that are adjacent to its walls to take pictures for an assignment. The friend was tied up by the junkies before she was taken further into the place and sexually assaulted.

Adjacent to the Mill are the tracks of the Western Railway, one of the three major lifelines of Mumbai, used to transport millions of commuters every day. The compound in which the crime took place is one of the many mills in the heart of downtown Mumbai that fell into disuse after the Great Mill Strike crippled the entire industry in the city, starting in 1980 and continuing for the next couple of decades.


Listen to Carol Andrade's report: