Van driver held for raping female tourist on Christmas in Goa

A young tourist, a female student, was raped on Christmas night by the driver of a tourist van near Panaji, according to a First Information Report filed at the Women's police station in the state capital.

A Goa Police spokesperson said that the 35-year-old accused has been arrested and remanded to police custody for five days.

The survivor was part of a group of students from an educational institute in south India, who were visiting Goa during the festive week.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Man held for raping 10-year-old girl in Nagpur

“These students, comprising of men and women, had come to Panaji in a hiring tempo traveller. According to the survivor, the driver sexually assaulted and raped her on Sunday," the spokesperson said.

The accused has been booked under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

Also Read | Relatives accused in nearly half of rape cases in Himachal in past 3 years: Police data

The police have been tight-lipped about the incident, with senior police officials refusing to speak on record about the crime and the police investigation.

The rape comes at a time when tourism activity in the state peaks during the Christmas to New Year week, when hundreds of thousands of tourists make a beeline for Goa, a popular beach and nightlife tourism destination.