American citizen sexually assaulted, Delhi Police file FIR

NEW DELHI: A woman based in the United States was allegedly gang-raped by a group of five men, including a tourist guide, at a five-star hotel near Connaught Place Police said they received a complaint from the woman through email. The woman said she would come to Delhi to record her statement once an FIR was registered.Police sources said the woman had sent a detailed account of her ordeal in the email sent to the official account of the police commissioner, cp-delhi.nic.in.In her complaint, the woman said she had arrived in Delhi early in March 2016 on a tourist visa and was staying at the five-star hotel near Connaught Place.She had hired the tourist guide from an agency suggested by the hotel authorities. The guide showed her around the city. One day , while she was in her room, the guide offered to discuss a route plan and arrived at the hotel along with four other friends. They went up to her room and had a few drinks together, following which the guide forced himself on her. The friends then took turns to rape her as well.Traumatised by the incident, the woman left India immediately and went back to the US. In her complaint, the woman said that she had not revealed the details of the incident to her family members and had gone into depression. She later approached a lawyer friend of hers, who suggested that she approach an NGO on India affairs and take up the matter. The members of the NGO advised the woman to register a complaint through an email to the police commissioner. After the cops had recieved the email, the case was transferred to Connaught Place police station.Police sources told TOI that an enquiry has been initiated to identify the guide from the hotel records. Police are questioning some of the employees of the hotel to identify the men as well. A case of gang-rape will be registered on the woman's complaint.The travel agency where the guide worked has also been contacted to unearth details of the guide and his friends.Delhi Police has contacted the US embassy, asking them to provide the details of the woman and the purpose of her visit. An officer has been assigned to act as liason with the woman and her lawyer.