US tourist assaulted in Indian hill town

Two unidentified men allegedly gang-raped a 46-year-old American tourist in the popular hill station of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh earlier this week.

The woman who had arrived in India a week ago, was attacked by two unknown men from behind, while she was on her way to the market. She passed out, but on regaining consciousness said she became aware that she had been raped.

The woman, from California, was reportedly on her first visit to India and had visited tourist destinations in the northern part of the country, like Kullu and Manali, before coming to Dharamsala.

Meanwhile the police investigation has found the statement given by the rape victim to be confusing. She said when she came to, she realized she had been raped. In 2012, the fatal gang rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi led to a public outcry and tougher laws.

The women, aged 30 and 50, told police they were gang raped, assaulted, tortured and starved while being held captive for three months. The National Crime Records Bureau says more than 24,200 rapes were reported across the country in 2011 – roughly one every 20 minutes. In February, another woman, this time a 20-year-old Japanese woman, was raped by her tourist guide in the city of Jaipur. Six men are also currently on trial for the alleged rape of a Danish tourist in Delhi in January 2014.