Karnataka’s Koppal police arrested two men – Mallesh and Sai Chetan on March 8 in connection with the assault and rape case near Hampi. The attack which took place on March 6 near Tungabhadra canal also led to the death of a 26-year-old tourist from Odisha.
On March 6, a group of five people – an American tourist Daniel, a Nashik-based tourist Pankaj, a tourist from Odisha Bibhash, an Israeli woman, and a local homestay owner (a woman) were attacked by three unknown men.
The attackers assaulted the three men and pushed them into the canal, and the two women – the 27-year-old Israeli tourist and the 29-year-old homestay owner – were raped.
Bibhash’s body was found two days later by search teams. The Gangavathi Rural Police had earlier registered a case of gang rape, robbery, assault, and attempt to murder against the unidentified perpetrators.
In response to the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the attack, labelling it a "heinous act." He assured swift action, noting the arrest of two suspects in connection with the case.
“The attack and rape of an Israeli citizen and homestay owner in Sanapur, Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district is a most heinous act. As soon as the incident was reported, I obtained information from the relevant police, conducted a thorough investigation, and instructed them to quickly identify the culprits. The police have arrested two accused in connection with the case and are continuing the investigation,” he said.
“Our government is committed to providing protection to everyone, including tourists, coming to the state. All necessary measures will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” he added.
According to the police, the group had ventured out for stargazing on Thursday night and travelled on scooters to the left bank of the Tungabhadra canal near the Durgamma Gudi temple close to Sanapur Lake. Around 10.30 pm, they were confronted by three men, reportedly speaking Kannada and Telugu and aged between 20 and 25 years. The men who had arrived on a motorcycle asked the tourists for Rs 100 to buy petrol. When the tourists declined to give them money, the men allegedly turned violent, assaulting them before pushing the three male tourists into the canal. As the men struggled to stay afloat, the attackers allegedly raped the two women before fleeing with Rs 9,500 in cash and two mobile phones.