Police detain 8 people for gangrape of 72-year-old nun in eastern India

NEW DELHI, March 16 -- Indian police have detained eight people in connection with the alleged gangrape of a 72-year- old nun in the eastern state of West Bengal in the wee hours of Saturday, a senior police official said Monday.

"We have detained some eight persons in connection with the incident in the state's Nadia district. We are questioning those under detention. We have announced a reward of one lakh rupees (2, 000 U.S. dollars) for information about the rapists," he said, on condition of anonymity.

"We are probing if the incident was a revenge attack on the elderly nun of a convent school by some disgruntled former employee."

Meanwhile, the nun has undergone a surgery at a hospital in state capital Kolkata and she is said to be in a stable condition.

State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured swift and strong action against those involved.

The Archbishop of Kolkata, Thomas D'Souza, has said it's important to ensure that "an inhuman act" like this should not take place again.

"It has brought a lot of shame and pain to all concerned," he said.