NEW DELHI, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A man was shot dead and four women of his family were allegedly raped Thursday in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The family travelling in car were made to stop and then attacked in Jewar area of Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, around 68 km southeast of Indian capital city New Delhi.
"In the wee hours today a family travelling in their car stopped after hitting a metal object on Greater Noida expressway. No sooner some members of the family came out to find out the reason, a group of six armed men surrounded the car, dragged out the women and gang raped them before looting the family," a police official told Xinhua.
"A male member of the family was shot dead when he tried to save the women."
Officials said the family of seven - four women, two teenagers and a man - was on their way to Bulandshahr to visit a relative admitted in a hospital.
The women have been admitted at civil hospital for medical examination.
Family members told police they were carrying some money along with them, which the armed robbers looted.
Police have registered a case and initiated investigations to nab the criminals.
"We are hopeful that the persons involved in this crime will be arrested soon," a police official said. "So far, no arrests were made in this regard."
Greater Noida comes under the purview of the National Capital Region (NCR) of India.
Last year, a 13-year-old girl and her mother were dragged out of the car and raped under similar circumstances on the national highway passing through Bulandshahr.
The girl, along with her family, was going to a funeral, when armed men stopped their car, beat up the men and gang raped the girl and her 35-year-old mother.
Sexual attacks on women and girls in India puts a question mark on their safety and efficiency of police force in the country.
In December 2002 a fatal gang rape of a medical student in New Delhi brought spotlight on crimes against women in India.
The incident saw huge protests and resulted in new anti-rape laws in the country. However, brutal sexual attacks against women continue to be reported across India.
