Spanish Tourist Gangrape Case: Five More Accused Arrested, Total Arrests Now Stand at Eight

Jharkhand police have arrested five more people in connection with the alleged gang rape of a Spanish woman in Dumka district, news agency ANI reported Tuesday.

A total of eight suspects have been arrested so far, Dumka Superintendent of Police Pitamber Singh Kherwar told ANI.

"Three suspects involved in the incident were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on March 2, 2024. Five other suspects implicated in the case were apprehended today, on March 5, 2024," the police said in a statement.

The woman, 28, was allegedly gang-raped on March 1 while on a motorcycle trip with her 64-year-old husband. They were spending the night in a tent near Dumka, about 300 kilometers from the state capital, Ranchi, when the attack occurred.

Earlier today, the woman's husband received a 10 lakh rupee compensation cheque from the Dumka Deputy Commissioner, A Dodde, on Tuesday. He expressed gratitude to the police for their swift investigation.

"Thank you for the very fast investigation," he said.

The couple is expected to leave Dumka on Tuesday under police protection and continue their journey to Nepal.

The woman and her husband arrived in India on a tourist visa and were travelling through Asia. They had previously visited Pakistan and Bangladesh before reaching Dumka.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognizance of the case on Monday and directed the state government to file a report. The court will hear the case again on March 7.

The court observed that "any crime against a foreign national can have serious national and international repercussions, including impacting the tourism industry. A sex-related crime against a foreign woman can bring adverse publicity and tarnish the country's image globally."