Horror as tourist gang-raped in India after attackers killed her friend

Reports from India say a gang of men approached the group of tourists and their host while they were looking at the stars. Details of the brutal assault and alleged murder are now emerging

A tourist on a trip of a lifetime to India has been gang-raped after her travel host was murdered while the pair were stargazing.

The two women, one an Israeli, were on the banks of a well-known canal in Karnataka in south west India when they were attacked. A man who was with the women at the time has gone missing and is presumed dead after being thrown into a canal. Another male, an American, is reported to have escaped.

One of the victims told police that she and four other visitors went stargazing near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal shortly before midnight. They were approached by three men on a motorcycle who asked for petrol and directions to a petrol station. According to a police report, when the host told them there was no petrol station in the area, the men demanded money. It is claimed there was dispute, leading to the assault on the women and travellers.

"They were approached by three young men on a motorbike who said they were in need of petrol but lacked the funds to purchase it," a senior cop told local media. After a disagreement, there was a physical altercation.

He said of the three males, two were able to escape but a third was unable to do so. The attackers then fled the scene on their motorcycles. Police launched a manhunt. Six special teams were formed to investigate. Two suspects have been arrested over the sex attack and the killing. A third remains at large.

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.

A case has been registered at the Gangavathi rural police station under sections 309(6) (theft or extortion), 311 (robbery or dacoity with intent to inflict or grave hurt), 64, 70(1) (gang-rape), and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

"After that, the group went to a private resort and informed the police station about the incident. The victims reported experiencing sexual assault and was taken for a medical evaluation. The three individuals arrived on a motorbike and are thought to be locals", the cop continued.

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.