Four more arrested after gang rape, assault of 20-yr-old in Delhi

Four more have been arrested after a young mother was allegedly abducted, gang-raped and then paraded through the lanes of Delhi in broad daylight, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Komal (25), Rekha (36), Gudiya (21) and Reena (32), all residents of Kasturba Nagar, they said.

According to a senior police officer, a total of 16 people, including three minors, have been detained so far.

The woman, 20, was allegedly kidnapped, gang-raped and paraded by the accused on the streets of Kasturba Nagar with her hair chopped, face blackened and a shoe garland around her neck on January 26.

The incident, the latest to spotlight sexual violence in India, drew widespread condemnation including from the Delhi Commission for Women and Delhi's chief minister, who called it "shameful".

Police had said the preliminary investigation indicated that the woman and a boy belonging to the family of the accused were friends.

"The boy committed suicide in November last year and his family blamed the victim (woman) for it. The family alleged that it was because of her that the boy took the extreme step. To exact revenge on her, the family members allegedly abducted her. They wanted to teach her a lesson," a senior police official had said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Tuesday announced a financial aid of ₹ 10 lakh for the survivor and said the government would appoint a lawyer to represent her in a fast-track court.

Police have stepped up security outside the house of the victim's sister in Kasturba Nagar after she filed a complaint alleging that she too was harassed, molested and thrashed by the same assailants on January 19.