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Five more gang rape suspects dragged to court over attack on influencer

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Her partner says he was held at knifepoint and forced to watch the two hour long ordeal
Her partner says he was held at knifepoint and forced to watch the two hour long ordeal

FIVE more men accused of raping a social media influencer have been hauled into court with black bags pulled over their heads.

Spanish-Brazilian Fernanda, 31, was on a biking trip across India with her partner when she was attacked by a gang of thugs.

Cops have detained a further five suspects eiqrridtziqxzprw
Cops have detained a further five suspectsCredit: EPA
The couple detailed their ordeal on social media
The couple detailed their ordeal on social mediaCredit: twitter.com/@Slatzism
Fernanda said she was ambushed after going to sleep in her tent
Fernanda said she was ambushed after going to sleep in her tentCredit: Instagram/@vueltaalmundoenmoto

Her boyfriend Vincente, 63, said he was held at knifepoint and was forced to watch the two hour long ordeal on Friday night.

On Monday, three men were dragged into court with sacks on their heads and were remanded in custody over the horror incident.

The three accused, who are all in their 20s and from Kunjo village, have been identified as Rajan Marandi, Sukhlal Hembrom, and Pradeep Kisk

Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of eventsPutin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of events

Cops have now detained a further five suspects in connection with the attack, who have not been identified.

They were paraded in court on Tuesday with black bags over their heads, handcuffed and tied to each other in a line by rope behind a row of police officers.

The five men were arrested after the initial trio gave up their names to cops, senior local police officer Pitamber Singh Kherwer told the Press Trust India.

Kherwer insisted if any of the men are found guilty, they will face "strict punishment".

He added: "We are forming a strong case against them.

"We have all the evidence against them and will file a chargesheet and request a speedy trial from the court.

"All the accused are between 18-25 age group."

Dumka Deputy Commissioner Anjaneyulu Dodde handed over a cheque of ₹10 lakh (£9,515) to Vicente.

Fernanda, who says she was gang raped by a group of men who took turns attacking her, has called for "justice".

She said: "'They [the police] have caught all the criminals, and there were eight in total.

Edinburgh Hogmanay revellers stuck in queues for TWO HOURS in torrential rainEdinburgh Hogmanay revellers stuck in queues for TWO HOURS in torrential rain

"I ask for justice... [for] all of the women who also have to go through this."

Fernanda choked back tears as she detailed her harrowing recount of the two-hour ordeal on social media alongside her partner Vincente.

In the clip, brave Fernanda showed bruises on her and Vicente's face and body.

Fernanda told her followers: “We are in a hospital in India. The police are here too."

She said they were on their way to Nepal when they decided to pitch their tent in a dark forest camp in the tourist hotspot of Dumka in the eastern state of Jharkhand.

But after they fell asleep, she said a gang of men ambushed their tent.

An angered Vincente said: “They held a knife to my neck and threatened to kill me.

“They raped Fernanda. Seven men. Those sons of b****s.”

He added that he suffered a painful injury after the men "destroyed" his mouth when they hit him with a helmet.

The couple also said their vicious assailants stole 10,000 rupees (£96) in cash and a ring before they ran off.

Police found the couple badly injured on the side of the road at around 11pm.

In an interview with Spanish TV channel Antena 3 on Saturday, Fernanda added: "They raped me, they took turns while some watched and they stayed like that for about two hours."

The biker couple, who have over 250,000 followers, were on a once-in-a-lifetime trip travelling around the world on motorbikes.

The next court hearing will be on March 7.

Starting five years ago, they have so far visited 66 countries and biked across 170,000km.

The attack has sparked outrage across India with activists calling for an end to violence against women.

The country has a poor record for women's safety, with more than 31,000 rapes reported in 2022.

With a heartbreaking average of nearly 90 rapes every single day being reported in India, say the country's National Crime Records.

That is equivalent to one rape every 18 minutes.

Three men were hauled into court on Monday
Three men were hauled into court on MondayCredit: AP
The couple are travelling the world on motorbikes
The couple are travelling the world on motorbikesCredit: Instagram/@vueltaalmundoenmoto
They have biked across 170,000km in five years
They have biked across 170,000km in five yearsCredit: Instagram/@vueltaalmundoenmoto
Fernanda has called for justice
Fernanda has called for justiceCredit: Instagram/@vueltaalmundoenmoto

Tahir Ibn Manzoor

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