“In Gujarat I was denied a room and had to spend the night on the footpath, only to be awakened by the police the next morning.”

The incident involving the Spanish vlogger and her partner took place on March 1 when the couple had pitched a tent in a forested hilly area around one kilometre from the main road near Kumrahat village.

Sunita Kunjeer, a rider from Pune, said, “We heard that the police have arrested all the accused. Our demand is that they must receive the strictest punishment possible. Rape is a crime against humanity.”

Mugdha Choudhary, an experienced biker from Pune, said, “In my two decades of travel, I have faced many challenges. Sometimes, hotels refused me accommodation citing policies against admitting single women. I had to sleep at fuel stations and even on the streets. In Gujarat I was denied a room and had to spend the night on the footpath, only to be awakened by the police the next morning.”

“Apart from this I have not faced any abuse or assault or even teasing in my entire bike riding journey. I did a 72-day solo bike trip from Jharkhand to Jammu and Kashmir and did not face any major issues in my journey for being a lone woman rider,” she added.

She also shared the precautions a solo rider must take. “Keeping your bike in the line of sight when you are taking a break. Being vigilant and keeping your eyes on the road and checking if there is any person or vehicle following you. Not relying on government SOS services or emergency numbers because most of the time they do not work,” she said.

Baljit Singh, another rider from Pune, said, “The couple had travelled to many countries but they were subjected to this kind of horrible incident in India. In India we worship women. The culprits should be awarded the strictest punishment possible so no other person should dare to commit such a heinous crime.”