Six Arrested In India Over Gang Rape Of Swiss Tourist

Police in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh said six people have been arrested in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss tourist and will be presented before a magistrate Monday.

Senior police official D K Arya confirmed the arrests to the Times of India. The accused were identified as Bhutha, Rampro, Gaza alias Brijesh, Vishnu, Kanjar Baba and Nitin Kumar. All of them are aged between 20 and 25 years and belong to a local tribe known as the Kanjar in Jhadia village.

None of them have a criminal record, the police said, but added they were carrying a firearm. Despite the rigid gun-control legislation in the country, firearm penetration in the country remains relatively high due to illegal crude gun-making trade.

The 39-year-old woman and her husband were camping at Jhadia village in Datia district, more than 400 km (250 miles) north of capital city Bhopal, late Friday night, when they were attacked by a gang of men.

The couple was on a cycling trip to Seonda, a tourist spot in Datia district, from Orchha, another tourist spot in Madhya Pradesh, when they decided to camp near the village for the night. They were planning to visit Agra in neighboring Uttar Pradesh to see the Taj Mahal.

The couple was robbed of their valuables, including a laptop, which police said they have recovered.

Earlier, police said eight to 10 men were involved in the attack and four of them raped the woman, based on an account by the couple. However the couple said they had difficulty assessing the exact number since it was dark inside the tent.

Police investigation later found out that only six people were involved in the crime.

The woman said she and her husband would continue to stay in the country for the moment to cooperate in the ongoing investigation and identification process, Outlook India reported.

The Swiss embassy said the couple reached New Delhi early Sunday and that they were provided medical assistance on their arrival and are currently recovering.

"While speaking to Ambassador Linus von Castelmur the couple expressed their readiness to fully cooperate in the ongoing investigation and identification process. They will continue to stay in India for the moment," the embassy said in a statement.

The incident comes three months after the brutal gang-rape and murder of a woman in the capital in December, which sparked massive protests across India.