Four men have been jailed for 20 years each after being found guilty of raping a woman on a beach in the Indian coastal city of Mangalore, Karnataka, while her husband was held hostage.
A court heard the victims were approached by the men on a beach on the afternoon of November 18, 2018. The attackers asked for directions before assaulting the male partner and threatening to kill him. They then held him hostage and took turns raping the woman.
After the ordeal, the men threatened the couple and told them not to report the attack to anyone.
Woman reported attack to parents
The woman reported the attack to her parents two days later, as reported by The Hindu. They informed police, and an urgent investigation was launched.
Commissioner of Police T.R. Suresh assembled a team including the then Deputy Commissioners of Police Hanumantharaya and Uma Prashanth, Assistant Commissioner of Police Manjunatha Shetty, and Panambur Inspector K.M. Rafique. The men were arrested on November 27.
Investigators spoke with witnesses and examined the crime scene before charging Prajval Suvarna, 25, Arun Amin, 26, Aditya Salian, 25, and Abdul Riyaz, 35. They have been jailed for 20 years each and fined a total of 74,000 Indian Rupees (£575.45).
Fishermen provided key evidence
Six local fishermen spotted the attack and provided key eyewitness evidence to police. Police said the man was attacked before the woman was raped.
An officer said the woman screamed for help before being raped. The men then fled the scene after threatening the victims, before being arrested and charged.
The attack led to protests across the region, including from student organisations. All of the attackers lived in the local area and were reportedly known to police.
