"My face looks like this, but it's not what hurts me the most. I thought we were going to die," the 28-year-old woman, who was gang-raped by seven men in Jharkhand's Dumka district, said in Spanish in a video that is going viral.
The Spanish couple were on a world tour and were in India's Jharkhand after travelling in 63 countries. They had come from Bangladesh, and intended to continue through Bihar and ultimately reach Nepal.
But the woman said that she was attacked on March 1 in Kurmahat village when the couple were spending the night in a makeshift tent.
Apart from the sexual assault on the woman, the couple was also thrashed by the accused and robbed of cash and other belongings as they resisted the crime.
After the horrific incident, the woman shared her ordeal on social media but quickly took down the video, claiming that the Jharkhand Police asked them not to "disturb" the investigation.
"Something has happened to us that we would not wish on anyone. Seven men have raped me," the woman said in the video, showing the horrific injuries on their faces.
"The police told me to turn off the post so as not to disturb the investigation. I will post it later," the woman shared on her Instagram stories.
"My face looks like this, but it's not what hurts me the most. I thought we were going to die. Thank God we are alive," she wrote.
The clip nevertheless became viral, with many netizens expressing shock at how her face got swollen, and her husband bruised up.
The woman later said on Instagram post that she would share the video again. Meanwhile, the police have arrested three, and the hunt is on to nab the remaining four.
Police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to ensure a thorough and swift inquiry.
Dumka Superintendent of Police (SP), Pitambar Singh Kherwar, said on March 2 that the local police patrolling team discovered the distressed couple late on Friday night.
Also read | Spanish woman gang-raped in Jharkhand, 3 arrested