A 27-year-old Israeli woman and a local homestay owner were allegedly gang-raped by three men on Thursday night. The incident took place when a group of tourists visited the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal for stargazing. Upon reaching the spot, the accused pushed three men into the canal before targeting the two women.
The assault occurred around 4 km from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, a popular destination for both foreign and domestic tourists, as per reports.
Attack Near Tungabhadra Canal
The incident took place around 11:30 pm when the victims, accompanied by three male tourists, were stargazing near the canal. According to a report on Deccan Herald, the perpetrators initially approached the group, inquiring about the location of a petrol pump. Upon learning that no such facility was nearby, they demanded money from the tourists. When the request was denied, the situation took a turn.
The attackers, reportedly speaking Kannada and Telugu, physically assaulted the three male tourists—identified as Daniel from the United States, Pankaj from Maharashtra, and Bibash from Odisha, as per reports. They were thrown into the canal, with two of them managing to escape with injuries. However, Bibash remains missing, prompting an extensive search operation.
As per a survivor’s statement, two of the accused then proceeded to sexually assault Israeli tourist and homestay owner while the male tourists struggled in the water, reported NDTV. Both survivors have been admitted to a government hospital and are undergoing treatment. Authorities have assured swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police have launched a massive manhunt, deploying six police teams to track down the suspects who fled on motorcycles. A case has been registered at Gangavathi rural police station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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