Women hold placards during a protest after the death of a rape victim, on a street in Mumbai, India, Oct. 6, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Authorities in India have arrested a third person in connection with the recent gang rape of an Israeli tourist, according to local media.

The attack occurred on Thursday night when a 29-year-old Indian woman hosting travelers took her guests — two Indian men, an American man, and a 27-year-old Israeli woman — on a stargazing trip at the Tungabhadra Canal in Karnataka, a state in southern India.

According to local media reports, the group was ambushed by three men who gang-raped the Israeli tourist and her local host. The American and two Indian men were thrown into the river, with one of the Indian men drowning. On Saturday morning, local police recovered the third friend’s body.

After filing a police complaint, the victims were transferred to a government hospital, where they are receiving medical treatment. The police said the case is being pursued under charges of extortion, robbery, gang rape, and attempted murder, with the investigation being treated as a priority.

The guesthouse owner described the events leading up to the assault and explained that they were approached by three men on a motorcycle around 10:30 pm that night.

“After dinner, we decided to go stargazing. We rode our scooters to the banks of the Tungabhadra Canal, near Sanapur Lake,” she reportedly said. “As we were watching the stars and playing the guitar, around 10:30 pm, three men on a motorcycle approached us and asked for fuel.”

According to her testimony, she told them that there was no gas station there and suggested they find fuel in a village nearby, but one of the men suddenly demanded 100 rupees.

“They didn’t know us, so I told them I had no money,” she said. “But they kept demanding, until one of the male tourists gave them 20 rupees.”

After the soon-to-be victims refused to give more money, the suspects began arguing and threatening the group with stones. Two of the men then attacked and raped the women, while the third pushed the men into the canal.

“I was bleeding heavily. Two of the suspects dragged me to the side of the canal,” the guesthouse owner recounted. “One of them choked me and removed my clothes. One after the other, they beat me and raped me.”

“When we screamed and cried, they fled on their motorcycle,” she said. The assailants stole her bag and fled with two mobile phones and 9,500 rupees (approximately $114).

Police said over the weekend that they had identified the suspects and formed six teams to pursue and arrest them. On Sunday, Indian authorities said that they have apprehended a third person suspected on being involved in the gang rape.

In India, sexual assaults on women have become a prevalent issue, with police recording 31,516 rape cases in 2022 (an average of about 90 rapes per day), a 20 percent increase from 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

In 2013, the rape law was amended to criminalize stalking and voyeurism and lowered the age at which a person can be tried as an adult from 18 to 16. In 2018, the government approved the death penalty for those convicted of raping children under the age of 12.