Mumbai:
Five men in Mumbai have been convicted for two gang-rapes at a deserted textile mill in the heart of the city.
The men were found guilty of raping a photojournalist in August at Shakti Mills, where she was on assignment; her male companion had been tied up while she was sexually assaulted. The case made headlines across the country, rupturing the image of Mumbai as one of the country's safest cities for women.
After the photo-journalist's case was filed, a telephone operator said the same men had raped her in June 2013.
A Mumbai court today convicted the men for both cases. Sentencing is expected on Friday, with the men facing up to life in prison.
Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil was in court as the verdict was delivered. So were Mohammed Salim Ansari, Siraj Rehmat Khan, Vijay Mohan Jadhav, Mohammed Ashfaq and Mohammed Kasim Hafeez Shaikh, also known as Kasim Bangali, aged between 18 to 27 at the time of their arrest.
A minor who was also arrested for the gang-rape in August is being tried separately by a juvenile court.
The 22-year-old photographer was praised by investigators for sharing a strong statement that helped indict the rapists. After the gang-rape, the men escorted her colleague and her to a nearby train station to ensure the couple did not head to the police to report the case.
The woman went to a hospital, enabling doctors to collect medical samples that served as crucial evidence.
The suspects, first pretending to help get her permission to shoot, tied up the male journalist with belts and dragged the woman to a dense clutch of shrubbery, where they assaulted her while threatening her with a broken beer bottle, police said.