Indian Police Arrest Two Men in Rape Case

Jan. 15, 2014 1:11 p.m. ET

Police on Wednesday inspect the site of the alleged rape in New Delhi. Reuters

NEW DELHI—Indian police on Wednesday arrested two men in connection with the alleged gang-rape and robbery of a Danish tourist in New Delhi, the latest in a string of sexual assaults in India that have focused national and international attention on violence against women here.
The two men, arrested at a railway station in the Indian capital, were among a group of eight who allegedly accosted the tourist at knife-point late Tuesday, Rajan Bhagat, a spokesman for the Delhi Police, said. They later left her in a secluded area, he added.
The 51-year-old woman told the police the group attacked her after she stopped to ask for directions to her hotel. She flew back to Denmark on Wednesday. Indian law forbids publicly naming rape survivors.
Police said they recovered an iPod, an eyeglasses case and 1,800 rupees, or about $29, all property of the victim, from the detained men. One of them, 25 years old, said he had purchased a Nokia cellphone, which the police also are holding, with some of the cash, Mr. Bhagat said. “Their exact role needs to be probed, but for now, we’re likely to book for gang rape and robbery,” Mr. Bhagat said. “We’re not taking this lightly. Our best men are on the job.”
Both suspects are unemployed, according to the police, who are still searching for the other alleged attackers. The two men are in custody, but haven’t been charged, police said. They are likely to appear before a court this week. The two couldn’t be reached for comment.
“Our embassy in New Delhi has worked hard to help the woman as much as possible,” said Ole Egeberg Mikkelsen, undersecretary for consular services and public diplomacy at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen. “We have established contacts with Indian police so she can be interviewed by Danish police and the investigation can move forward despite the fact that she has left India,” Mr. Mikkelsen said.
“The embassy in New Delhi is in close contact with the Indian police to make sure there is an investigation…Our cooperation with Indian authorities is good and they are taking this very seriously,” he added.
The gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old on a bus in New Delhi in 2012 sparked an unprecedented national reassessment of the treatment of women in the world’s largest democracy and led Parliament to pass new laws aimed at safeguarding women.
Public discussion of sex crimes has also eroded some of the stigma rape victims suffer in Indian society and has encouraged more women to come forward and report attacks. The number of rapes reported in Delhi last year was more than double the number reported in 2012.
Attacks on women have tarnished India’s reputation abroad, travel agents say, making some foreigners wary of traveling to the South Asian nation. India’s Tourism Ministry says international tourist arrivals last year grew at their slowest pace since the 2008 global economic downturn.
In December, an Indian court convicted three men of gang-raping an American tourist in June, while in August, six men were sentenced to life in prison for gang-raping a Swiss tourist in March.
Tourism is important to the economy, accounting for about 6% of gross domestic product.
Indian authorities say they have stepped up security at popular destinations and started gender-sensitization campaigns for tour operators. A multilingual tourist helpline is also in the works.
—Niclas Rolander contributed to this article.
Write to Preetika Rana at preetika.rana@wsj.com and R. Jai Krishna at krishna.jai@wsj.com

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