India apprehends three individuals for suspected gang assault on overseas visitor
Authorities in eastern India have detained three individuals for the suspected gang assault of an international visitor and attack on her spouse, as they pursue four additional suspects in a case shedding light on the ongoing battle to combat sexual violence against women in the nation.
Police in eastern India have apprehended three men for the reported gang rape of a foreign tourist and the attack on her husband. Meanwhile, authorities are actively searching for four additional suspects in a case that underscores the ongoing challenge of addressing sexual violence against women in the country.
The couple, who were on a motorcycle journey from West Bengal to Nepal, were discovered late Friday by patrolling police officers, according to Pitambar Singh Kherwar, superintendent of Dumka district police in Jharkhand state.
The woman told the doctor at the hospital that she had been raped, according to him.
Kherwar stated that the police have identified the wanted suspects and have established a special investigative team. It is unknown if the three suspects who were arrested have lawyers.
CNN is not disclosing the name of the female victim, as per Indian law that protects the identity of victims of sexual violence. The police have also not revealed the names or nationalities of the couple.
Duncan Senkumba/CNN
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A travel vlogger couple recently shared on Instagram about a terrifying incident they experienced in India. They revealed that they were threatened with knives and the woman was raped. As a result, she was taken to the hospital for DNA testing.
The couple posts in Spanish, and the woman mentions on her Instagram that she is Brazilian.
She shared on their Instagram story about bruises on her face and expressed, “This is how my face looks, but the most painful part isn't visible. I feared for my life.”
In a recent update, the couple expressed gratitude to their followers for the support received. They mentioned that they are in good spirits and are confident in the efforts being made by the police to apprehend the remaining suspects.
CNN has made attempts to contact the couple for further comments.
India’s National Commission for Women (NCW) has condemned the alleged attack. NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma has reached out to the victim and offered all necessary support, as announced on social media platform X on Saturday.
Jharkhand minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur called the alleged assault a “condemnable incident.”
“If a crime has been committed, the culprits will not be spared,” he said on Saturday.
India has been facing challenges in addressing the issue of violence against women for a long time. This problem has gained international attention due to several high-profile rape cases involving foreign visitors.
Indian rape survivor Bilkis Bano reacts during a press conference New Delhi on May 8, 2017. An Indian court May 4 convicted five police officers and two doctors of tampering with evidence in the gang rape of a pregnant woman and the murder of her family during one of the worst incidents of religious unrest since independence. Bilkis Bano was gang raped and seven of her relatives were killed during religious riots that broke out in the western state of Gujarat in 2002. / AFP PHOTO / Prakash SINGH (Photo credit should read PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images)
Indian rape survivor Bilkis Bano expressed her feelings during a press conference in New Delhi on May 8, 2017.
An Indian court convicted five police officers and two doctors on May 4 for tampering with evidence in the gang rape of a pregnant woman and the murder of her family. This incident occurred during religious unrest in the western state of Gujarat in 2002, where Bilkis Bano was gang raped and seven of her relatives were killed. / AFP PHOTO / Prakash SINGH(Photo credit should read PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images)
Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images
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In 2013, six men were sentenced to life in prison for the gang rape of a Swiss tourist. In 2018, a British woman was allegedly raped in Goa, while an American woman was allegedly drugged and raped in New Delhi two years earlier. Now, her rapists are free and she is in hiding.
In 2022, India's National Crime Records Bureau reported a total of 31,516 rape cases, averaging 86 cases per day.
Experts caution that the recorded cases represent only a fraction of the actual number, highlighting the pervasive shame and stigma surrounding rape victims and their families in the deeply patriarchal society.
India's current laws do not consider it a crime for a man to force sex or sexual acts on his wife, as long as she is over 18.
One of the most well-known cases in India in recent years was the 2012 gang-rape of a medical student in New Delhi. She was beaten, tortured, and left to die after a brutal attack on a public bus.
The case and subsequent protests caught the attention of the international media and led to legal reforms being implemented by authorities. In 2013, the rape law was revised to expand the scope of the crime and impose harsh penalties not just for rape, but also for sexual assault, voyeurism, and stalking.
However, despite these modifications, instances of rape continue to be widespread in the country. Victims and advocates argue that the government has not taken sufficient measures to safeguard women and prosecute perpetrators.
