Protests, prayer ceremonies by women's rights groups mark 1st anniversary of Delhi gang rape

NEW DELHI – Students, Bollywood actors and women's groups have held protests and prayer ceremonies across India in memory of a young woman whose fatal gang rape a year ago shook the nation's conscience.

The victim was heading home with a male friend when six men lured them onto a private bus. They beat the man, raped the woman and used a metal bar to inflict massive internal injuries.

On Monday, protesters and politicians spoke of changes in social attitudes, tough new laws and police reform following the massive street protests in the wake of the gang rape.

Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar led a group of musicians in a bus that performed street plays at several places along the route taken by the rape victim.