Indian police arrest five more men over attack on Brazilian biker in Dumka

Tourist couple were allegedly attacked by group of men while sleeping in tent

Eight men have now been arrested over the alleged gang rape of a Brazilian tourist in India's eastern state of Jharkhand. AP

Indian police have arrested five more men accused of sexually assaulting a Brazilian biker and attacking her husband in a case that caused outrage in the country.

The woman, in her thirties, and her husband, in his sixties, were camping during a motorcycle trip from India to Nepal when they were allegedly attacked by seven men in the Dumka district of eastern Jharkhand state on Friday.

State police said they arrested five suspects on Tuesday. Police arrested three men over the incident at the weekend.

"Three suspects involved in the incident were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on March 2, 2024. Five other suspects in the case were apprehended today," police said in a statement.

The couple, who document their travels online under the blog name Vicente y Fernanda, reportedly arrived in India from Bangladesh on their motorbikes.

They were spending the night at a makeshift tent in a remote part of Kurmahat, in the Hansdiha area of the district, when they were allegedly attacked by at least seven men.

In a now deleted social media post, the woman said the group barged into the tent and sexually assaulted her. The men were also accused of beating the couple and stealing 10,000 rupees ($120) in cash and a ring.

"We chose the place for the night stay because it was calm and beautiful. We thought it would be OK if we lived there alone," she told local media on Tuesday, before leaving for Nepal.

“The people of India are nice. I don't blame the people, but I blame the criminals. The people of India have treated me very well and were very kind to me," she said.

Jharkhand police gave one million rupees ($12,000) in compensation to her husband.

"There were eight people involved. Two persons were with her husband who tied him up. The police worked on this swiftly and arrested all the accused," Dumka deputy commissioner Anjaneyulu Dodde told The National.

“We did a fast investigation and from the side of district administration, we are providing all the help to them. We will try for a speedy trial and conviction of the accused."

The alleged attack sparked outrage in India, where tens of thousands of sexual assault cases are reported by women every year.