The High Court in the Indian capital Wednesday slammed the local police for its failure to prevent incidents like rape on the streets in the wake of a 23- year-old student's horrific gangrape by six men on a moving bus late Sunday night.

A two-judge bench of the High Court took suo moto cognizance of the case and sought within 48 hours a status report from the Delhi Police in the gangrape case as well as an explanation as to what steps were taken as preventive measures to curb such crimes in the future.

"This incident is of great concern for all the citizens of the capital city as it relates to the safety particularly of women and girl children in Delhi. There are two important questions. The first is the investigation in the case and the second is the preventive measures. We want to know what preventive measures have been taken by the police to prevent such incidents.

The victim was gangraped allegedly by six people on the moving bus. The accused also beat her up and her boyfriend who had boarded the bus in the south of the national capital after watching a movie at a multiplex. The duo were stripped and flung from the bus near a flyover.

The girl is fighting for her life at a hospital. The High Court has asked the Delhi government to provide the best available medical treatment to the victim.

The police have so far arrested four of the six accused and are contemplating pressing attempt to murder case, along with the rape case. Members of the Indian Parliament have also demanded stricter punishment like the death penalty for the accused.