The two women including an Israeli tourist were stargazing on the banks of a canal on Thursday night when they were gangraped
GUWAHATI, March 8: Two women including an Israeli tourist were allegedly gangraped while another male traveller from Odisha was killed after they and two other male companions were assaulted by three motorcycle-borne miscreants near Karnataka’s Hampi, reports said.
The second woman who was allegedly gangraped was the owner of a homestay, reports further stated, adding that the two women and their three other male companions — a tourist from the United States and the other two from Maharashtra and Odisha — were stargazing on the banks of a canal on Thursday night when the shocking incident took place.
Reports said the 29-year-old female homestay owner and her four guests, including the 27-year-old woman tourist, had gone for stargazing on the banks of the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal after dinner when the three accused arrived on a motorcycle.
They, reports said, first inquired as to where they could get petrol and, when told that there was no petrol pumps nearby, demanded Rs 100 from them.
Reports stated that the trio began abusing the homestay owner and her companions even after the traveller from Odisha gave the accused a 20-rupee note.
The three accused then pushed the three men into the canal before dragging the homestay owner to the side of the canal where two of them raped her. They also snatched her purse and stole two mobile phones and Rs 9,500 cash, the victim stated in her FIR.
Another accused then dragged the Israeli tourist and raped her as well.
The two women are presently undergoing treatment at a government hospital while the body of the traveller from Odisha was recovered from the canal today (March 8).
The other male companions, including the American tourist, had a close shave as they were able to swim out of the waterbody.
Based on the FIR, a police case has been filed under rape, gang-rape, and robbery charges as police launched a massive hunt to track and arrest the three accused.
“Two women, including a foreign national, were allegedly raped near the Hampi heritage site in Karnataka and one male tourist who was with them was found dead. The body of Bibas, a resident of Odisha was found near power house of canal, nearly two Kms away from the incident. The group which attacked them allegedly pushed him into the Tungabhadra River canal yesterday. Gangavathi Rural police have registered a case of rape, robbery, assault and attempt to murder against the accused,” news agency quoted Karnataka Police as saying.
“I came to know about this yesterday. Two people have been recovered, and one has to be recovered. They had gone there at midnight for star watching. Police are investigating. We will take action as per the law…,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said.
The incident has sparked massive outrage, especially as it coincides with International Women’s Day, raising questions about the law-and-order situation in Karnataka.
