Media photographers condemn Mumbai gangrape

Lucknow, Aug 24: Members of the Media Photographers' Club on Friday held a candlelight protest here against the alleged gangrape of a woman photojournalist in central Mumbai and squarely condemned the incident saying that such instances were becoming common.

"Attacks on and manhandling of photojournalists have now become common, but this incident has forced us to rethink about the security of women working in this field," said SM Pari, club president.

He noted that such cases could prove to be a deterrent for women wanting to enter the field of press photography. "If such an incident can take place with a mediaperson in a metropolis like Mumbai, what can be said about the security of a common woman in smaller towns," Pari asked.

The protesters held a candlelight meet at GPO Park here where they raised slogans calling upon the Maharashtra government to take steps to ensure that such incidents are not allowed to recur. A 23-year-old photojournalist was allegedly gangraped last night by five men in the Parel area of central Mumbai.

The incident took place when the victim, who works with an English magazine, was doing field work for an assignment, police said. In a chilling reminder of the December 16 gangrape in Delhi, the alleged rapists tied up a male friend accompanying the victim before raping her.

PTI