A 27-year-old Israeli tourist and a 29-year-old homestay owner were gang-raped near Sanapur Lake in Karnataka’s Hampi on Thursday night. Three male companions were also assaulted, with one later found dead in a canal.
According to police, the group—an Israeli woman, a homestay owner, and three men from Odisha, Maharashtra, and the US—had gone stargazing when three men on a motorcycle approached them. The suspects first asked for directions and later demanded money.
When refused, they attacked the group, pushing the three men into the Tungabhadra Canal before sexually assaulting the women.
The homestay owner, who filed the complaint, said the attackers raped both women before fleeing on their motorbike. The suspects also stole two mobile phones and Rs. 9,500.
Two male tourists managed to escape the canal and are receiving treatment, but the tourist from Odisha drowned. His body was found the next morning.
Police have registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including gang-rape, robbery, and attempted murder. Search teams, including police and fire officials, are working to locate the suspects.