Two men have been arrested in India over an alleged gang rape of an Israeli female tourist and a local woman.
The victims were stargazing with three male travellers – an American and two Indians – when the attack happened near a popular UNESCO World Heritage site on Thursday night.
Three men on a motorbike approached the group and asked them for money in Koppal town in southern Karnataka, according to authorities.
An argument followed and the three men pushed the male travellers into a nearby river canal, before the women were sexually assaulted, said police official Ram Arasiddi.
The American man and one of the two Indian men survived by swimming to safety but the other Indian man drowned and his body was recovered on Saturday.
The Indian woman was the homestay operator for the Israeli.
Homestay is a form of hospitality and lodging where visitors share a residence with a local host.
The arrested pair are being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder, gang rape and robbery, said Mr Arasiddi.
Previous high-profile attacks
Attacks on women in India gained global attention last year after a junior doctor was raped and murdered at a hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata, sparking national outrage and protests over a lack of safety for women.
In 2022, police recorded 31,516 rape cases, a 20% rise on the year before, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
The real figure is believed to be far higher due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence and victims’ lack of faith in police.
Rape and sexual violence have been in the spotlight since a student was gang-raped in 2012 on a bus in New Delhi and later died of her injuries.
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The attack led to huge demonstrations and inspired politicians to bring in fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases and toughen up penalties.
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The rape law was changed in 2013, criminalising stalking and voyeurism and lowering the age at which a person can be tried as an adult from 18 to 16.
In 2018, the government approved the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under age 12.
