American gang-raped: A young American tourist was looking for a taxi back to her hotel after spending a night out with friends in Manali, northern India on Monday night. The woman, around 30 years old, according to a Manali police statement, took a ride offered by three men sitting in a small dump truck.
When they came to the turn-off for Old Manali, where the woman’s hotel is located, the men turned instead in the direction of a forested area and sexually assaulted her for about an hour.
They took her iPhone, Nikon camera, 5,000 rupees, 1,500 Thai bhat, and $30, and dropped her near Manali Bridge. She reported at the police station at 4:30 a.m.
Police inspector Abhimanyu Kumar has ordered every truck driver in Manali to report to the police station, according to Times of India. Police told the New York Times on Wednesday that the woman was unable to positively identify any suspects thus far.
Under a criminal law amendment made this year, gang-rape carries a minimum sentence of “rigorous imprisonment for not less than 20 years,” which may be extended to life.
According to the Times of India, a recent survey shows the number of female tourists in India has dropped by 35 percent after high-profile gang rapes.
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