New India gang-rape case

Police on Sunday said the 29-year-old victim, who had been the only passenger on a bus, was abducted by the driver and his assistant.

The woman had apparently been travelling to her husband's village when the two men forced her onto a motorbike and took her to another location.

Five other men took part in the rape, according to local police chief Raj Jeet Singh.

"We have arrested six of the accused and are looking for the seventh man," said Singh. "The arrested men confessed to their crime during preliminary interrogation. We have registered rape cases against them."

A complaint was filed with the police by the victim after she was dropped near her home on Saturday. Following their arrest, the men appeared before the media hooded and chained.

Earlier incident

The latest incident follows pre-trial proceedings against five men for a gang rape in New Delhi of a student who died of injuries sustained in the attack.

Rape, abduction and murder charges are being pressed against the men, with a sixth individual, who it is claimed is a minor, possibly facing a separate prosecution in a juvenile court.

The five adult defendants return to court on Monday where police will seek to extend their remand in custody. They could face the death penalty, which is rarely practiced in India, if they are found guilty.

The case led to widespread protests about perceived failures of the Indian criminal justice system in dealing with rape cases, as well as a debate about the place of women within Indian society.

rc/dr (AP,dpa)