Seven suspects apprehended in India for suspected assault on tourist
Authorities in India have apprehended seven suspects in connection with the suspected assault on a tourist and her husband. The investigation into this case, which has sparked outrage, is currently ongoing.
Seven men are currently being held in custody in India for reportedly gang-raping a tourist and attacking her husband, according to authorities. This case has once again brought attention to the widespread issue of sexual violence against women in the country.
Police revealed on Saturday that three individuals have already been apprehended in relation to the crime, while they continue to search for four more suspects.
Dumka Deputy Commissioner Anjaneyulu Dodde informed CNN on Tuesday that four more suspects have been apprehended.
The couple, who were on a motorcycle trip from West Bengal to Nepal, were discovered on Friday night by police officers patrolling the area, according to Pitambar Singh Kherwar, the superintendent of police in Dumka district, Jharkhand state.
The woman was taken to the hospital, where she informed the doctor that she had been raped.
The police have identified the wanted suspects and have established a special investigative team, according to Kherwar. It is unknown if the three arrested suspects have lawyers representing them.
CNN is respecting Indian law by not revealing the name of the female victim, which prohibits the identification of victims of sexual violence. The police have also not shared the names or nationalities of the couple.
Following a disturbing incident, a travel vlogger couple shared on their Instagram account that they were threatened with knives during an attack in India. The woman was sexually assaulted and taken to the hospital for DNA testing.
exp india rape bilkis bano supreme court jail sud lkl 01091ASEG1 cnni world_00012106.png
exp india rape bilkis bano supreme court jail sud lkl 01091ASEG1 cnni world_00012106.png
video
Related video
Release of 11 men convicted of murder and gang rape in India reversed
The couple posts in Spanish, and the woman says on her Instagram page that she is Brazilian.
The woman shared on her Instagram story about the bruises on her face, mentioning, "This is how my face looks, but the real pain is not visible. I feared for my life."
In a subsequent post on Sunday, the couple expressed gratitude to their followers for the support received. They mentioned that they are okay and added that the authorities are actively working to apprehend the remaining suspects.
CNN has reached out to the couple for comment.
India’s National Commission for Women (NCW) condemned the alleged attack.
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma reached out to the victim and offered necessary support, as mentioned on social platform X on Saturday.
Jharkhand minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur described the alleged assault as a "condemnable incident."
He mentioned on Saturday that if a crime has been committed, the culprits will not be spared.
India has been facing challenges for years in addressing high rates of violence against women. Several high-profile rape cases involving foreign visitors have brought international focus to this issue.
In 2018, a British woman was reportedly raped while walking to her hotel in the popular tourist destination of Goa in western India. Two years earlier, an American woman was allegedly drugged and raped by a group of men in her five-star hotel room in New Delhi. In 2013, six men were sentenced to life in prison for the gang rape of a Swiss tourist.
According to India's National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 31,516 rape cases were recorded in 2022, averaging to 86 cases per day.
Experts caution that the reported cases of rape are likely only a small portion of the actual number in a society that stigmatizes and shames victims and their families, due to deeply ingrained patriarchal norms.
