Mah Home Minister personally supervising gang-rape case probe

Under fire from the opposition in the wake of gang-rape of a 23-year-old photojournalist here, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil is personally supervising the probe into the case round the clock.

Patil visited the N M Joshi Marg police station in the wee hours today to review the progress made in the investigations of this case, a police official said today.

Patil's visit to the police station at 2.30 AM raised eyebrows and officials were surprised to receive him.

The home minister not only interacted with the police officials at the station to get a first hand impression of the probe, but also spoke to the two accused who had been arrested in the case.

Patil asked the duo their names and where they resided. He also questioned them about their role in the incident.

According to the official, Patil appreciated the efforts of the police in arresting the two accused and stressed the need to quickly arrest the remaining culprits.

The Home Minister has given full freedom to the police in probing the case and told them that the government needs quick results, the official said.

The photojournalist, who worked as an intern with an English magazine, was gang-raped by five men on Thursday evening when she had gone to the deserted Shakti Mills compound in Lower Parel with a male colleague on assignment.