Indian police have arrested three people in connection with the alleged kidnapping and gang rape of a popular film actress in the southern state of Kerala last week.

"We have so far nabbed three persons, the driver of the actress and two others in the case. However, the main accused is still on the run," a senior police official said Tuesday.

He added: "We have identified the main accused as the former driver of the actress and raids are being conducted to nab him."

The incident took place late Friday night. The film actress has alleged that three persons took turns to rape her inside her own car that they had waylaid while she was on her way to dub a film.

The crime has shocked the film fraternity in Kerala and sparked massive outrage in India, with many taking to social media to vent out their anger.

The Kerala government has assured that all the perpetrators of the heinous crime will be brought to justice at the earliest.

The 2012 brutal and fatal gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student by six men on a moving bus in Delhi had forced the Indian government to introduce stricter laws to deal with crimes against women.

Source: Xinhua