A disturbing incident has shaken India’s tourism industry, as a French pilgrim has reported being sexually assaulted by her tour guide during a spiritual journey. Authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged attack, which has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of tourists, particularly women, visiting India.

A French woman on a pilgrimage in Tamil Nadu, India, was allegedly sexually assaulted by a local tourist guide who lured her to a secluded spot under the pretense of meditation.

According to police reports, a 42-year-old man, identified as Venkatesan from Tiruvannamalai, was arrested near the Arunachaleswara Temple following an investigation.

Authorities say the suspect took the woman, believed to be in her 40s, to a restricted area on Arunachala Hill in Tiruvannamalai, where he allegedly assaulted her.

Tiruvannamalai, a historic town located 190km southwest of Chennai, is renowned for the Arunachaleswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, and the sacred Arunachala Hill, a significant pilgrimage site.

According to police reports, the French woman, who arrived in Tiruvannamalai in January and was staying at a private lodge, met Venkatesan while visiting various ashrams and pilgrimage sites.

On Monday, the suspect allegedly lured her to a restricted area of Arunachala Hill, which falls under the jurisdiction of the state forest department, falsely claiming it to be an ideal meditation spot. It was there that the assault reportedly occurred.

According to The Indian Express, the woman raised an alarm, attracting the attention of devotees and passersby along the Girivalam path, a well-known circumambulatory route around the sacred Arunachala Hill.

To protect her privacy, authorities have not disclosed the victim’s identity.

Tiruvannamalai Superintendent of Police, M. Sudhakar, stated: “We formed special teams to identify the suspect. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the victim ascending the hill with a local man.”

“We narrowed down the probe to five individuals who usually work as tourist guides, including the accused. The victim identified him as Venkatesan when he was paraded before her.”

He stated: “Venkatesan is in police custody and we are probing if he engaged in similar crimes in the past.”

The woman has been admitted to a district hospital for medical examinations, while a police investigation is ongoing.

In 2018, a 21-year-old Russian tourist was drugged and gang-raped in a serviced apartment in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai.

The sexual assault of the French woman comes just weeks after a 36-year-old British tourist was allegedly raped and molested at a hotel in Delhi’s Mahipalpur area. Police arrested two suspects—one who had reportedly befriended the woman on Instagram and was accused of rape, and a hotel staff member charged with molestation.

The attack on the British tourist occurred just days after a 27-year-old Israeli traveler and her Indian homestay operator were gang-raped near a UNESCO World Heritage site in Karnataka.