A 22-year-old female Indian photojournalist was gang raped while her male companion was beaten in the textile neighborhood of Lower Parel in southern Mumbai, the Associated Press reported.

Indian police said the woman had been on assignment to take pictures for a magazine, as five men confronted her at about 7 p.m. While initially granting permission for her to shoot inside a crumbling building in the Lower Parel, they grew aggressive toward her. They also accused the man of being involved in a local crime which he denied.

The five men proceeded to tie his hands with a belt, taking the woman to another part of the compound where each took turns raping her, Satyapal Singh, Mumbai's police commissioner said.

Since the assault, Mumbai police arrested a suspect in the attack who then named the four other culprits.Singh said the men may have local drug dealers. The rape victim was reportedly in stable condition in a hospital, news reports said.

About 1,000 people, which included several local journalists' associations, gathered on Friday evening in south Mumbai to stage a silent protest to the rampant epidemic hitting the country. Some carried signs, which  read "stop rape," and a public demand for better protection of women from assault.