Tourist guide arrested on rape charges

The accused introduced themselves as tourist guides working for a “government-authorised tourist agency” and offered to arrange for a trip to Kashmir at cheap rates from the government agencies,the police said. Altaf and Baktoo also helped the women get SIM cards.

According to the police,the accused first raped the women in Kashmir and later at a hotel in Karol Bagh.

“The accused took them to the office of one Ali in Karol Bagh,who charged exorbitant rates for a package tour of Kashmir,Khajuraho,Rajasthan etc. On January 8,the women went to Srinagar in Kashmir with Altaf and Baktoo and stayed at latter’s houseboat,” said S S Dash,Additional Commissioner of Police (New Delhi).

In Kashmir,the accused took away the victims’ passports,he added.

“The women visited Gulmarg and stayed in a hotel,where they realised they had been cheated. They then told the accused that they wanted to cancel the tour and demanded their money back. But the accused forced them to stay as their passports were with them. Altaf forced himself on one of the women at the houseboat,” added Dash.

The police said the women were raped for at least four days on the houseboat.

On January 25,all four returned to Delhi and stayed in a hotel in Karol Bagh,where both women were again raped for about six days,the police said.

According to the police,Altaf then took Rs 60,000 from them and they went to Jaipur,Ranthambore and other places in Rajasthan. When they came back to the Capital on February 4,the complainants found that the accused had stolen 200 Euros and Rs 25,000 from them.

Soon after returning to Delhi the women registered a complaint at the Connaught Place police station. A case was registered after a medical examination confirmed rape.

The police said Altaf was arrested from Connaught Place following a tip-off.