KOPPAL: Koppal police arrested two men on Saturday in connection with the gang-rape of a 27-year-old Israeli tourist and a 29-year-old homestay operator near Sanapur Lake, close to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hampi.
SEE ALSO: Karnataka lake horror: Israeli tourist, homestay operator gang-raped; missing Odisha man found dead
A third accused remains at large, and special teams have been deployed to track him down.
The arrested suspects have been identified as 22-year-old Mallesh alias Handi Malla and 21-year-old Chetan Sai Sillekyatar, both residents of Sainagar in Gangavathi taluk, Koppal district—about 350 km from Bengaluru.
At a press conference, Koppal Superintendent of Police Ram L Arasiddi said the attack occurred around 10.30pm on Thursday when the victims, along with three male tourists, were stargazing near the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal.
“Three men on a motorcycle approached the group, asking for petrol money. The tourists initially gave them Rs 20, but the accused demanded Rs 100 and became aggressive when refused,” he said.
The situation escalated as the suspects attacked the group with stones and their bare hands. “They pushed the three male tourists into the canal before sexually assaulting the two women,” the SP said. “
Two of the accused gangraped the homestay operator, while the Israeli tourist was raped by one of them.”
The survivors had not known each other before and had met at the homestay, he added.
Co-traveller found dead
The male tourists—Daniel from the US and Pankaj from Maharashtra—managed to swim back to safety by helping each other. However, the third, Bibash from Odisha, went missing. “His body was recovered from the canal on Saturday morning,” the SP confirmed.
The deceased, identified as Bibash from Puri, had attempted to intervene during the sexual assault. While his companions managed to escape, he drowned. His body was recovered by Karnataka police on Saturday.
According to the FIR filed at Gangavathi Rural Police Station on Friday night, the assailants also stole the homestay owner’s bag containing two mobile phones and Rs 9,500 before fleeing on their motorcycle.
The victims, including four guests and the homestay owner, had been staying at the property after arriving on different dates.
Police have launched an investigation to apprehend the remaining suspect.