Swiss woman gangrape in MP: Six arrested, all confess to crime

Datia (MP): Two days after a 39-year-old Swiss woman was allegedly gangraped while camping with her husband in a forest here, six accused were arrested on Sunday and police recovered from them a mobile and laptop robbed from the couple. “We have arrested six accused persons who raped the Swiss woman and recovered her mobile and laptop,” S M Afzal, IG, Chambal Range, told PTI. They were identified as Baba, Bhutha, Rampro, Gaza alias Brajesh, Vishnu Kanjar and Nitin Kanjar. While five were picked up earlier in the day, Nitin was arrested in the evening in Niwadi, about 100 km from here. All the accused have admitted to the assault that took place on Friday night, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) D K Arya said. [caption id=“attachment_664845” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Protests against Delhi gangrape. AP[/caption] The couple told the police that the victim was gangraped by seven or eight men but as it was pitch dark they could not be sure of the exact number who attacked her, he said. The Swiss tourist, on a cycling trip along with her husband, was allegedly gangraped at a forest area in Datia district, on the night of 15 March. The traumatised woman was treated in the nearby city of Gwalior and was in a state of shock, police said, adding she later left for Delhi. Earlier, police had detained over 20 people and on the basis of leads provided by them the arrests were made. On a three-month vacation, the couple–who are adventure tourists– was camping at a forest area for the night while on their way back from Orchha, home to temples of Lord Ram, and were planning to cycle to Agra when they were attacked and looted by some persons who took away their laptop, mobile and other valuables. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote on Twitter that all the accused in the Datia rape incident had been arrested and said “we will not allow anybody to let down reputation of heart of incredible India”. PTI