Article updated: 1/3/2013 12:33 PM

Authorities charge 5 in New Delhi gang rape

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Indian students participate Thursday in a protest against a leader of the ruling Congress party on accusations he raped a woman. Footage on Indian television showed the extraordinary scene of local women surrounding Bikram Singh Brahma, ripping off his shirt and repeatedly slapping him across the face. A Dec. 16 gang rape on a woman, who later died of her injuries, has caused outrage across India, sparking protests and demands for tough new rape laws, better police protection for women and a sustained campaign to change society's views about women.

Associated Press

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Five men accused of raping a university student for hours on a bus as it drove through India's capital were charged Thursday with murder, rape and other crimes that could bring them the death penalty. In a nation where court cases often linger for years, the government set up a special fast-track court Wednesday to deal with crimes against women, and that is where the charges against the five men were filed Thursday evening.