An Indian fashion photographer made the 'wrong turn' and incited outrage after reportedly glamorizing an actual gang rape incident in a photoshoot portraying a woman getting groped by several men on a bus.

Raj Shetye, a Mumbai-based fashion photographer, initiated a photoshoot which appears to be based on an actual Delhi gang rape that transpired in 2012. The images from the shoot went viral online Tuesday.

Like Us on Facebook

The photoshoot, which rekindled Delhi citizens' memories of the brutal gang rape two years ago, was titled 'The Wrong Turn' and featured model Jitin Gulati.

The incident referred to is known as the 'Nirbhaya' rape - the Hindi term for 'fearless' and the alias given to the victim of a gang rape - that happened on a chartered bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012.

The gang rape case drew international media attention to the country after a 23-year-old physiotherapist who was heading home was raped by several men on an off-duty bus one night. The incident called into question whether or not India is indeed a country safe for tourists and women in general.  

Netizens described the alleged Nirbhaya-inspired photos as 'ridiculous, disgusting and appalling,' citing the eerie resemblance of the shoot to the actual bus gang rape.

One even called the photographer "an insensitive swine." Another recognized Shetye's 'artistic license' but expressed that he was still disturbed by the photos.

The photographer denied allegations that he is trying to illustrate 'Nirbhaya' and has explained that he had no intention of upsetting anyone with his work of art.

"It is just a depiction of the situation of women in our country right now. It is my personal work, not for any commercial value," he stated adding that he took down the photos from his site and social media accounts because he is a professional and does not like reading hate messages.

He also explained that he intended the photoshoot to throw a light on Indian patriarchy and male dominancy and was actually aiming for women empowerment in India.

TagsJitin Gulati, Nirbhaya, gang rape photo shoot, nirbhaya photo shoot, rape photo shoot, nirbhaya glamourized, gulati photo shoot