2 arrested for Israeli’s rape

The police on Monday arrested two men suspected of raping a 25-year-old Israeli tourist in the popular resort town of Manali, local officers said.

The arrests were made following a complaint by the woman that she was attacked early Sunday after flagging down what she thought was a taxi and asking for a lift to a nearby town.

“Two of the six accused of raping an Israeli national have been arrested. Both the men are locals,” said Sanjay Kumar, the police chief of Himachal Pradesh.

“A search operation is on to arrest the remaining four accused. The vehicle involved in the crime has also been recovered,” he added.

Earlier Monday, police superintendent Padam Chand said the woman had alleged that there were six people in the car, two of whom raped her before fleeing.

The woman had been trying to meet up with friends who had already left for the nearby town of Keylong after they all arrived in Manali a few days earlier. The police viewed CCTV footage of the streets of Manali to help identify the suspects.

The woman was being treated in hospital after she reported the attack, which took place at about 3 am, at the Manali police station later on Sunday.