Israeli female tourist gangraped in India

A horrific incident of gang rape and assault has been reported at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Karnataka, where an Israeli female tourist and another woman were brutally attacked, while three male tourists were assaulted and thrown into a canal.

One of the men, a tourist from Odisha, was found dead on Friday morning, sparking outrage and prompting a large-scale police investigation, Indian media reported on Saturday.

The incident took place on Thursday night between 11:00 PM and 11:30 PM near Sanapur Lake, a popular tourist destination located 4 km from Hampi.

The victims—a 27-year-old Israeli woman, a 29-year-old homestay operator, and three male tourists from Odisha, Maharashtra, and the United States—were reportedly sitting by the lake, listening to music, when the attack occurred.

According to police sources, three motorcycle-borne men approached the group under the pretext of asking for petrol. Upon being informed that there was no nearby petrol station, the assailants demanded money.

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When the tourists refused, the men became aggressive, attacking them and forcibly throwing the three male tourists into the Tungabhadra canal. They then raped the two women before fleeing the scene.

While two of the injured men managed to escape, one of them, identified as Bboss from Odisha, went missing after being thrown into the water. A search operation was launched early Friday morning, involving police teams, dog squads, and fire department officials. Tragically, his body was later found in the lake, confirming fears that he had drowned.

The two surviving male tourists are currently receiving medical treatment at a government hospital.

A case has been registered at Gangavathi Rural Police Station. According to the survivors' complaint, the attackers spoke Kannada and Telugu. After pushing the male tourists into the water, two of the three men raped the women. The traumatized victims managed to escape and later alerted the authorities.