An American tourist is among those attacked by a gang who raped an Israeli traveler and killed her companion in southern India.
On Thursday night, two women were gang-raped and a man was killed in a brutal attack by a group of men near a lake in the city of Hampi, Karnataka.
The two women – an Israeli woman, 27, and her Indian host – were stargazing with three male tourists, one of which was an American, when the violent assault took place.
Police superintendent Ram Arasiddi told Reuters that the three assailants pushed the men into the Tungabhadra River canal before beating and raping the women.
Two of the men survived the attack, and the third man’s body was discovered on Saturday morning, he added. The deceased victim was an Indian male.
The US State Department said it was ‘aware of reports that a US citizen was among a group of victims of violent crime’ near Hampi.
‘Five people – two women and three men – were attacked near Sanapur,’ Arasiddi said.
‘Two of them are foreigners, an American [man], and another a woman from Israel.’
Police have since arrested two of the men accused of the attack and an investigation into the case is ongoing, Arasiddi said.
‘I was bleeding heavily. Two of the attackers joined forces and dragged me to the side of the canal. One of them strangled me and removed my clothes. One after another, they beat me and raped me,’ the Indian guesthouse owner told Indian media.
She said the Israeli woman was dragged away by one of the men before he raped her. She added: ‘When we screamed and cried, the three fled on their motorcycle.’
The horrifying attack has caused hundreds of terrified holidaymakers visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Karnataka to flee.
One Israeli traveler, 21, told Indian media that she and her friends were ‘concerned’ for their safety following the incident and decided to check out of their guest house to leave the area.
Another tourist, a 23-year-old also from Israel, said his group decided not to leave their accommodation at night out of fear of another attack.
‘The information about the gang rape spread like wildfire on WhatsApp groups and about 400 people, mainly Israelis, have left since March 7,’ a homestay host told local media.
The man added that he and other hosts are worried about their livelihoods as the attack could have lasting effects on tourism in the area.
Thursday’s attack saw the three suspects arrive on a motorbike around 10.30pm as the group of five was stargazing and playing the guitar, according to the female host.
The men asked the group for directions to a gas station, but the Indian woman told them there was no gas station nearby.
One of the men then demanded 100 rupees (less than £1). She said: ‘They didn’t know us, so I told them I didn’t have any money. But they kept demanding and demanding until one of the male tourists gave them 20 rupees (£0.18).’
An argument ensued when the tourists refused to give the men more money, with the suspects threatening the group before pushing the men into the canal and hitting them with stones as well as raping and beating the women.
The host said that the attackers stole her bag and fled with two mobile phones and 9,500 rupees (£85).
Police identified the man who died after being pushed into the canal as Bhibas Nayak, 26, and the surviving Indian man who swam to safety as a Maharashtra resident named Pankaj.
A special investigation team arrested two of the suspects on suspicion of attempted murder, gang rape and robbery on March 8.
The third remained at large until March 9, when police also took him into custody after looking through CCTV from the area where the attack happened.
Two of the men in custody have also been pictured by police and named as Sai Chetan and Mallesh, both reportedly residents of the Gangavathi region.
The incident has left the country reeling as Karnataka state President B.Y. Vijayendra dubbed the authorities ‘delusional and indifferent’.
‘Our government is committed to providing protection to everyone, including tourists, coming to the state’, he said, adding that measures will be put in place to prevent future attacks.
The chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah said: ‘The horrific attack and rape of an Israeli citizen and a guesthouse owner are heinous crimes.’
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not address the gang rape attack directly, he said in a statement on International Women’s Day on the weekend: ‘When a daughter comes home late, her parents ask questions. But they do not ask similar questions when a son comes home late.
‘Over the past decade, we have prioritized women’s safety and security. To stop crimes against women, we have changed laws and established the death penalty for heinous acts like rape.’
Sexual assaults on women have become more commonplace in India, where police recorded more than 31,000 cases of rape in 2022 – a 20 per cent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
It is thought the true figure may be higher still due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence.