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The brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old photojournalist in Mumbai was raised in Parliament today with senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj demanding speedy justice in all cases of rape.
"On one hand, women in India are winning gold medals, on the other side we have such crimes against them," she told the Lok Sabha.
"I want to ask the Home Minister if there a time frame for expediting the cases. The culprits should be hanged," Sushma said.
"Hang them, the incidents will stop. Let us not just make laws, implement them too," she added.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde made a statement in the Lok Sabha on the Mumbai gangrape case assuring that the Maharashtra government will do its best to complete the investigation as soon as possible.
"The statement of the male companion of the survivor has been recorded, based on that police released the sketches. All the five accused have been arrested, the government of Maharashtra will do utmost to complete the investigation," he said.
"The male companion has given some vital clues. Mumbai Police launched a massive manhunt operation and all five men have been arrested. I trust the Maharashtra government. They will fast track the case and justice will be done soon," he added
Meanwhile, the family of the photojournalist who was gangraped by five persons inside an unused mill last week, has thanked the public for their support, and sought the severest punishment for the accused.
In a statement issued here, they said: "Now that stringent laws are in place, we are optimistic that your and the government's efforts will help fast track the matter so that the severest of punishment is meted out. This will ensure that even the most sick-minded think twice before they act in such an inhuman and insensitive way."
The statement came after Mumbai Police confirmed that they had arrested all of the five accused. Four of them have been sent to judicial custody till August 30. Salim Ansari, 27, was arrested in Delhi on Sunday and brought back to Mumbai late last night.
The gang rape of the photo-journalist has provoked anger and comparisons with the fatal gang-rape of a young student on a moving bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012.
According to media reports, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has promised that the case will be fast-tracked. He has asked noted criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam to appear as public prosecutor in the case.
