Five anti-trafficking activists in India, who were performing a street play, were abducted and raped.
Police said the women were forced into cars and raped in a "secluded area" at gunpoint in the eastern state of Jharkhand.
They added that the five victims are now under protection and that three teams are interrogating several individuals.
Officials believe the attackers could be supporters of a group that is extremely hostile to "outsiders" entering the region.