Title: Three Men Arrested for Alleged Gang Rape of Foreign Tourist and Assault of Her Husband in India: A Continuous Struggle Against Sexual Violence
The law enforcement authorities in the eastern region of India have taken into custody three men for the alleged heinous crime of gang raping a foreign tourist and physically assaulting her husband. The incident occurred while the couple was traveling on a motorcycle from West Bengal to Nepal, as reported by Pitambar Singh Kherwar, the Superintendent of Dumka district police in Jharkhand state.
The distressing incident came to light when the patrolling police officers discovered the couple late on a Friday night and took them to the hospital for medical assistance. Upon their arrival, the woman revealed to the attending physician that she had been subjected to a horrific sexual assault. The local police have confirmed the identities of the four remaining suspects and are currently in the process of forming a special investigative team to apprehend them.
Unfortunately, details regarding the couple’s names or nationalities have not been disclosed by the police at this time. In accordance with Indian law, this article will not reveal the identity of the female victim to respect her privacy and confidentiality in the face of a sexual assault case.
The shocking news comes just days after another travel vlogger couple shared their disturbing experience on Instagram, disclosing that they had been threatened with knives during an attack in India. The woman described the harrowing ordeal, including being raped and requiring hospitalization for DNA testing. As of now, both victims are reportedly recovering, with the police diligently working to apprehend the remaining suspects in each case.
India’s National Commission for Women (NCW) has strongly condemned the alleged attacks and expressed solidarity with the victims, offering assistance and support. The organization posted on their social platform, expressing their outrage at these heinous acts.
Jharkhand Minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur has also publicly denounced the assault as a “condemnable incident,” assuring that swift action will be taken against the perpetrators.
India’s ongoing struggle to curb sexual violence against women dates back several decades, with numerous high-profile rape cases involving foreign tourists drawing international attention and concern. One such instance occurred in 2018 when a British woman was allegedly raped while walking to her hotel in the popular tourist destination of Goa. Two years earlier, an American woman reported being drugged and raped by a group of men inside her five-star hotel room in New Delhi. In 2013, six men were sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal gang rape of a Swiss tourist.
The Indian National Crime Records Bureau reported that 31,516 rape cases were documented in 2022, equating to an average of 86 cases per day. However, experts warn that these statistics represent merely the tip of the iceberg in a deeply patriarchal society where shame and stigma surround rape victims and their families.
Under India’s current legislation, it remains legal for a man to coerce his wife into non-consensual sex as long as she is over 18 years of age. India’s most infamous rape case in recent years occurred in 2012, when a medical student was brutally gang-raped on a public bus in New Delhi. The horrifying incident sparked nationwide protests and international media coverage, prompting authorities to enact legal reforms. The rape law was amended in 2013 to broaden the definition of the crime and impose stringent punishments for rape, sexual assault, voyeurism, and stalking.
Despite these legal advancements, rape cases continue to plague the country, with victims and advocates expressing disappointment in the government’s failure to effectively protect women from sexual violence and hold offenders accountable.
