70-year-old tourist raped in Pahalgam, Kashmir

PAHALGAM: In a deeply disturbing incident, a 70-year-old female tourist was allegedly raped in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian media reported.

According to reports, a local youth forcibly entered the elderly tourist’s room and allegedly assaulted her, causing serious injuries. The incident occurred on April 11, 2025, but came to light recently after the victim formally lodged a police complaint in Pahalgam.

The accused, identified as Zubair Ahmed, was presented before a court in Anantnag, which denied his bail. The court strongly condemned the assault, describing it as not only a criminal act but a reflection of moral decay in society.

Ahmed, however, has claimed he is being falsely implicated, alleging that the police hold a personal grudge against him and his father.

This case adds to growing concerns about violence against women in India. According to the Indian National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), one rape was reported every 15 minutes in 2018. In 2022, over 31,000 rape cases were officially recorded—the most recent year for which data is available.

Last year, three men were arrested Saturday after the gang rape of a Spanish tourist on a motorbike trip through India’s remote east with her husband, local media reports said.

The attack took place on Friday night in the Dumka district of the eastern state of Jharkhand, where the couple had stopped to camp the night in a tent.

The woman was able to reach a police patrol van at around 11:00 pm and was taken to hospital for treatment, police officer Pitamber Singh Kherwar told The Times of India newspaper.

Kherwar said police had detained three people in connection with the attack and were on the hunt for more suspects.