All Five Mumbai Rape Suspects Arrested

All five suspects accused of the gang rape of a 22-year-old journalist in Mumbai have now been arrested, officials have said.

After a massive manhunt launched by the Mumbai Police, the last of the wanted gang was arrested in New Delhi, the capital, on Sunday, and is being transported back to Mumbai. Officials are thanking the rape survivor for her help in the search, especially her near-accurate physical descriptions of the suspects, which helped expedite the process.

The first arrest — a 19-year-old, unemployed man — was made Friday, and another two were made Saturday.

One of the suspects arrested Saturday might be facing lighter sentencing, after his grandmother told the media he was only 16 years old and therefore a juvenile.

“He is a very good boy. He cannot do such a bad thing. He is only 16 years of age. I have document to prove that and I will show it to the court,” the grandmother said.

“He said his friends had done something to a girl and she had been lying unconscious in Shakti Mills,” she added. “He never lies to me — his friends have committed the crime and blamed him.”

Police are still looking into the actual age of the suspect.

The 22-year-old photojournalist was reportedly taking pictures of a former textile mill in Mumbai with a male colleague when the attack happened. The gang allegedly raped her, threatened to kill her with a broken beer bottle and even made her clean up the scene of the crime.

She is now in hospital in stable condition.

"I want no other woman in this city and country to go through such brutal physical humiliation," she told reporters from the hospital bed. "The perpetrators should be punished severely as they have ruined my life."

"Rape is not the end of life," she added.

[Image: Keyaart via Flickr]