Swiss tourist gang raped in Madhya Pradesh

A 39-year-old Swiss female tourist was gang raped by eight people in a forest area, in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh, police said.

The woman and her husband — who are adventure tourists — were on a cycling trip through MP when they stopped to camp for the night in Jharia village, eight km from Datia town. It’s an area known to be popular with tourists.  Eight men, reportedly wielding sticks, attacked the two and sexually assaulted the woman.

The attackers “tied up the man and raped the woman in his presence”, the police said. Four of them took turns raping her while her husband strongly protested. The rapists beat her up when she resisted. They also stole Rs10,000, a laptop and a mobile phone from the tourists.

“The couple were on their way to Agra from Orchha on bicycles and decided to camp in the forest. The two were beaten up by a few people who took away their laptops,” said ML Dhody, a sub-divisional police officer.

The rape survivor was rushed to a hospital in Gwalior, 100km away, where tests confirmed she had been raped.Twenty five suspects have been detained and are being questioned, DIG (Chambal range) DK Arya said.

A rape case has been registered, police said, but no arrest has been made so far. Arya however added that the police have come across some clues about the accused and hoped that they would be arrested shortly.

Distressed over the gang rape of a Swiss national, the Swiss Embassy on Saturday demanded a swift investigation into the case. “The Embassy is most distressed with the gang-rape of a Swiss national in Madhya Pradesh. The Ambassador has been able to speak to the victim and her partner and has assured them of all possible support,” according to a statement issued by the Embassy in New Delhi. “Their health and treatment is the priority of the moment.

The Embassy has also been in touch with the local authorities and has requested for a swift investigation and for justice to be done,” the statement added.

This is the second incident of sexual assault involving a tourist in Madhya Pradesh in recent months. Earlier, a North Korean student was raped by a resort manager in Umaria district.

@DNA