Two women including Israeli tourist raped, male traveller killed near Karnataka’s Hampi

“Out of the three accused, we have arrested two, and efforts are being taken to nab the third suspect in the case,” Ram L Arasiddi, Superintendent of Police of Koppal, told newspersons. According to Arasiddi, the arrested accused have been identified as Mallesh and Chetan Sai. Both, aged 21 years, hail from Sai Nagar in Gangavathi town and work as masons.

The incident occurred around 11 pm on Thursday. After dinner, a 29-year-old homestay operator, along with the Israeli tourist and three male tourists, was sitting by the left bank of the Tungabhadra Canal near Sanapur Lake, playing the guitar, enjoying music, and stargazing, police said. Among the male tourists, one was from the United States, while the others were from Odisha and Maharashtra, police said.

According to police, in her complaint, the homestay operator alleged that while they were stargazing and playing music, three men who came on a motorcycle approached them, asking where they could get petrol. When she informed them that there were no petrol pumps nearby and suggested they get it from Sanapur, the accused demanded Rs 100. “Since the homestay operator did not know them, she told them they had no money. When the men repeatedly insisted, one of the male tourists from Odisha gave them Rs 20. After that, the three men allegedly started arguing and threatened to bash their heads with stones,” the complainant stated in the FIR.

When the group refused to give them more money, the accused, who spoke Kannada and Telugu, started abusing them. They then allegedly raped the homestay operator and the Israeli tourist and pushed the three male tourists into the canal, a senior police officer said. 

“Two of the accused beat the homestay operator, while the third aggressively pushed the three male tourists into the canal. The three accused also hit the homestay operator, leaving her seriously injured,” the FIR further stated.

The accused dragged her to the side of the canal, where one of them strangled her and removed her clothes. Two of them beat and raped her. They also snatched her bag, stealing two mobile phones and Rs 9,500 in cash, according to the FIR. Similarly, one of them dragged the Israeli tourist and raped her. 

The accused fled on a motorcycle after the assault, the complainant alleged.

Of the three male tourists, two sustained injuries, and another went missing, whose dead body was recovered on Saturday morning, police added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday condemned the incident and assured that his government is committed to providing protection to everyone, including tourists, coming to the state. Siddaramaiah said that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur. Taking to social media platform ‘X’, the Chief Minister termed the attack and rape of the Israeli citizen and homestay owner in Sanapur, in Koppal district, as 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 quickl yidentify  the  culprits,”  he said.