Tamil Nadu: Russian woman drugged and raped in temple town

On July 16, a Russian woman was allegedly drugged and raped in the pilgrimage town of Tiruvannamalai, 190 km southwest from the state capital. She was reportedly seriously injured in the assault by at least three persons.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the case including the person that brought the girl. Tiruvannamalai Town sub-inspector J Illavarasi registered a case under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment).

The inspector of police Mangayarkarasi said that the 21-year-old girl came to Tiruvannamalai on July 12. She rented a room in a guest house for Rs 200 per day. Barely after three days in the city, she was found lying bare and unconscious in her room on July 16.

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Mangayarkarasi told Mirror that the person, who runs the guest house and two others allegedly molested her and attempted to rape. The Tiruvannamalai town police later shifted her to the government hospital where she regained consciousness.

The guest house proprietor had taken the guest house on lease from its owner, who is reportedly in Malaysia.

Mangayarkarasi said that her blood samples have been sent to Chennai for lab test. Doctors who saw bruises and marks left by nails on her body confirmed she was raped, and said she’d been unconscious for a long time due to an overdose. A woman, who is familiar with Russian language, has been roped in to translate the victim’s statement. Her statement is likely to be recorded soon.

“A medical report said she had bite marks on her face and hands and scratch marks on her upper body,” a district administration official said quoting a police statement. “It also confirmed sexual abuse.” Investigators have seized the drugs from the apartment.

One of the six accused said that he had accompanied the woman to the temple and ashram. “He said she invited him to the apartment on Saturday night”, the police said. The accused said they had consensual sex that night and the following day and claims that he found her unconscious when he returned to the apartment on Monday morning after going to buy vegetables and fruits for her.”

Further details about the Russian woman’s India visit and details on the attack on her would be clear after the investigation and results of lab tests.

India has been recently ranked world’s most dangerous place for women by a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters Foundation and this incident is only an addition to the slew of incidents.

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