Israeli tourist gang-raped in India after bogus taxi pick-up - reports

A 25-year-old Israeli tourist has allegedly been gang-raped after getting into a vehicle she mistook for an official taxi in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

The incident is said to have occurred early Sunday morning while the woman was hitchhiking in the tourist town of Manali, police said. Six men were in the car and two reportedly raped her, according to the Jerusalem Post.

She had been trying to reunite with friends in Keylong when she got into the car, according to police.

Padam Chand, police superintendent, told AFP that CCTV footage from the streets of Manali was now being examined.

“There were six people in the car and two of the occupants raped her, she alleged,” Chand said. “We are examining CCTV footage and hope to nab the culprits.”

He also said the Israeli embassy had been informed of the incident.

The tourist was taken to hospital shortly after she reported the attack. “She is being shifted today to a bigger hospital in Mandi town to carry out a proper medical examination,” another police officer told AFP.

Manali is a tourist hotspot due it its scenic valleys but the safety of women visiting the area remains a concern.

READ MORE: Indian court convicts 5 men of gang-raping 52yo Danish tourist, 3 others investigated

In 2013, an American woman was raped by three men in Manali after getting into a truck.

A national discussion about the high levels of sexual violence towards women began following the infamous gang-rape and killing of a student on a Delhi bus in 2012.

READ MORE: Gang-rape epidemic: India mourns victim, proposes chemical castration for offenders