All three accused in the gang rape of a 30-year-old American tourist in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh were arrested Thursday, police said.
Police said the three men arrested were Nepali nationals who had been living in the state for a long time. “Two of them were arrested from Patlikuhl and one from Mandi town,” superintendent of police Vinod Dhawan said.
The arrests came after the woman gave a description of the men and identified the truck model used in the crime. The vehicle was also seized, according to police.
In a police complaint, the woman said the three men repeatedly raped her in a secluded area after accepting a lift from the truck driver to Manali.
The attack comes amid increased scrutiny on sexual violence in India following a disturbing trend of sexual attacks against women, including female tourists. In March, six men were arrested in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss tourist in Madhya Pradesh state.
India passed a new bill with stricter punishments for rape, including the death penalty. Officials in the Indian city of Mumbai also sought to curb sexual crimes by proposing to ban lingerie-clad mannequins.
