A French visitor on a spiritual journey to India was reportedly sexually assaulted by a man posing as a tour guide. The woman, said to be in her 40s, encountered the man, identified as Venkatesan, 29, while exploring pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu.
Allegedly, the woman was taken to a secluded area under the guise of meditation and assaulted by Venkatesan. She managed to attract the attention of passers-by and subsequently notified the authorities. Following the incident, she received medical attention at a local hospital.
Indian law enforcement detained Venkatesan near the Hindu Arunachaleswara temple in Tiruvannamalai after an inquiry. The suspect crossed paths with the tourist during her visit to the spiritual center known for attracting pilgrims seeking self-discovery and enlightenment from around the globe.
M Sudhakar, the superintendent of police in Tiruvannamalai, stated that prompt action was taken to apprehend the suspect after the victim’s report. Special teams were mobilized to identify the culprit based on witness accounts.
Venkatesan, identified by the victim, remains in custody as investigations continue to determine if he has been involved in similar offenses previously.
In a separate incident, a British woman was reportedly raped at a hotel in India and later assaulted by staff members. The victim, aged 36, faced the attack in Mahipalpur, South West Delhi, near Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Authorities have arrested a man known as Kailash, 24, and a hotel housekeeping staff member named Wasim in connection with the incident. The victim was attacked when she briefly left her room, during which the hotel staff member allegedly assaulted her.
According to a statement from Delhi police, a man was apprehended for raping the British woman in a Mahipalpur hotel, while his accomplice was detained for molestation. The victim had traveled from the UK to Delhi to meet the man she knew through social media.