Mumbai gang-rape: Second accused arrested; hunt on for 3 others

Second accused picked up in the wee hours from Madanpura area by the Crime branch

A second accused in the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old photojournalist was today arrested from South Mumbai even as police launched a manhunt for three others in the case, which has sparked a wave of protests.

Accused Vijay Jadhav was picked up in the wee hours from Madanpura area by the Crime branch.

Yesterday, an unemployed youth from South Mumbai identified as Chand Babu Sattat Shaikh alias Mohammed Abdul (19), was arrested in the case. He had named all the four co-accused out of which three -- Qasim Bengali, Saleem and Ashfaq-- are still at large.

According to Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh, more than 20 teams, including 10 from the elite Crime Branch, have been formed to track down the perpetrators amid mounting public pressure and anger.

Singh yesterday said police was trying to gather "clinching evidence" to ensure that the culprits get maximum punishment for the "shocking crime".

The victim, an intern with an English magazine was gangraped allegedly by five men on Thursday evening when she and her male colleague went to the deserted Shakti Mills compound in Lower Parel area for taking photographs in connection with a story on city chawls.

The five accused, whose sketches were released yesterday, tied up the victim's friend and raped the woman in a chilling reminder of the December gangrape in Delhi.

The young scribe, who resides in western suburbs, has been admitted to Jaslok Hospital and is said to be "composed and stable". Preliminary reports suggested that she sustained multiple internal injuries.

"We cannot give you any further information keeping in mind patient confidentiality," Dr Tarang Gianchandani, acting CEO and Director (Medical Services) of Jaslok had said yesterday. "We are doing the needful... She is under strict observation."

Condemning the assault, journalists took to streets to lodge protest. Scribes from various streams, sporting black bands on their arms and mouths, gathered in large numbers at Hutatma Chowk in south Mumbai yesterday demanding that at all necessary steps be taken to ensure that safety and security of journalists and common citizens is not compromised.