https://sg.news.yahoo.com/israeli-tourist-among-two-women-113711414.html
Sun, 9 March 2025 at 1:08 pm SGT·3-min read
Israeli tourist among two women gang-raped in India, police say
A 27-year-old Israeli tourist and a 29-year-old Indian homestay operator were gang-raped and a man was killed in an attack in southern India.
The two women, who were stargazing with three male tourists near Sanapur lake in Hampi, Karnataka, were attacked by a group of men on Thursday night. A male tourist from Odisha was later found dead, police said.
"Five people – two women and three men – were attacked near Sanapur. Two of them are foreigners, an American [man], and another a woman from Israel,” said Ram L Arasiddi, superintendent of Koppal police.
“The woman [homestay operator] said in her complaint that besides being beaten up, the two women were sexually assaulted by the accused,” the police said.
According to officers, a group of assailants on a motorbike initially approached the tourists asking for petrol and demanding 100 rupees ( £1). When the victims refused, the men turned violent, physically assaulting them, pushing the men into a canal, and then sexually assaulting the women.
“Since the homestay operator did not know them, she told them they had no money. When the men repeatedly insisted, one of the male tourists from Odisha gave them 20 rupees. After that, the three men allegedly started arguing and threatened to bash their heads with stones," police said.
Two of the male tourists – from the US and Maharashtra – managed to escape, while the third tourist, from Odisha, was found dead, according to PTI news agency.
A case has been registered at Gangavathi Rural Police Station under sections related to extortion, robbery, gang rape, and attempted murder.
Mr Arasiddi told reporters that six special teams have been formed to track down the suspects.
“Immediate action was taken following the women’s complaint, and the investigation is in full swing,” he said.
The Koppal police have arrested two of the three men allegedly involved in the attack, the police said.
The victims are receiving medical treatment at a government hospital, the police said.
The attack has raised concerns about safety in Hampi, a Unesco World Heritage site, which attracts thousands of domestic and international tourists.
The gang-rape of a tourist from Spain in the eastern state of Jharkhand in India has sparked anger and a discussion on safety in a country with rising crimes against women.
Last year a 28-year-old woman and her husband were assaulted in the Dumka district of Jharkhand where they had set up their tent for the evening. The couple, who manage an Instagram page chronicling their motorbike travels across South Asia, posted a video recounting their ordeal.
Last month, a 31-year-old man was jailed for life over the rape and murder of a 28-year-old Irish tourist in Goa.
Danielle McLaughlin’s body was found with severe injuries in a forested area near Palolem beach in Canacona village in March 2017.
Reports of horrific sexual assaults on women have become familiar in India, where police recorded 31,516 rape cases in 2022, a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. The real figure is believed to be far higher due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence.
Israeli tourist among two women gang-raped in India, police say
Stuti MishraSun, 9 March 2025 at 1:08 pm SGT·3-min read
Israeli tourist among two women gang-raped in India, police say
A 27-year-old Israeli tourist and a 29-year-old Indian homestay operator were gang-raped and a man was killed in an attack in southern India.
The two women, who were stargazing with three male tourists near Sanapur lake in Hampi, Karnataka, were attacked by a group of men on Thursday night. A male tourist from Odisha was later found dead, police said.
"Five people – two women and three men – were attacked near Sanapur. Two of them are foreigners, an American [man], and another a woman from Israel,” said Ram L Arasiddi, superintendent of Koppal police.
“The woman [homestay operator] said in her complaint that besides being beaten up, the two women were sexually assaulted by the accused,” the police said.
According to officers, a group of assailants on a motorbike initially approached the tourists asking for petrol and demanding 100 rupees ( £1). When the victims refused, the men turned violent, physically assaulting them, pushing the men into a canal, and then sexually assaulting the women.
“Since the homestay operator did not know them, she told them they had no money. When the men repeatedly insisted, one of the male tourists from Odisha gave them 20 rupees. After that, the three men allegedly started arguing and threatened to bash their heads with stones," police said.
Two of the male tourists – from the US and Maharashtra – managed to escape, while the third tourist, from Odisha, was found dead, according to PTI news agency.
A case has been registered at Gangavathi Rural Police Station under sections related to extortion, robbery, gang rape, and attempted murder.
Mr Arasiddi told reporters that six special teams have been formed to track down the suspects.
“Immediate action was taken following the women’s complaint, and the investigation is in full swing,” he said.
The Koppal police have arrested two of the three men allegedly involved in the attack, the police said.
The victims are receiving medical treatment at a government hospital, the police said.
The attack has raised concerns about safety in Hampi, a Unesco World Heritage site, which attracts thousands of domestic and international tourists.
The gang-rape of a tourist from Spain in the eastern state of Jharkhand in India has sparked anger and a discussion on safety in a country with rising crimes against women.
Last year a 28-year-old woman and her husband were assaulted in the Dumka district of Jharkhand where they had set up their tent for the evening. The couple, who manage an Instagram page chronicling their motorbike travels across South Asia, posted a video recounting their ordeal.
Last month, a 31-year-old man was jailed for life over the rape and murder of a 28-year-old Irish tourist in Goa.
Danielle McLaughlin’s body was found with severe injuries in a forested area near Palolem beach in Canacona village in March 2017.
Reports of horrific sexual assaults on women have become familiar in India, where police recorded 31,516 rape cases in 2022, a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. The real figure is believed to be far higher due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence.
