The Telangana Police have detained a cab driver for the alleged rape of a 25-year-old German national in the Pahadishareef area on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The woman, who was on a visit to the city with her friends, was tricked by the cab driver into boarding his vehicle on the pretext of showing her the tourist spots around the city. He is said to to have stopped the car near Mamidipally and raped her.

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The incident took place between 6 pm and 7 pm yesterday.

The woman had arrived in Hyderabad on 4 March, along with a fellow German friend to visit another friend who had studied with them at a university in Italy. The two were in the Meerpet area when the cab driver offered to take them around and explore the city.

However, after visiting a few places and taking photographs, the cab driver dropped off her friend for taking photographs and then drove some distance before stopping and then raped her and fled the spot. The survivor then called her friend and the two lodged a police complaint. The police launched a manhunt for the accused based on the details from the survivor’s account and nabbed him from Meerpet.

The incident happened at a time when Telangana is gearing up to hold the Miss World pageant in the state between 7 May and 31 May. Participants from 144 countries will be visiting the state for the event.

BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha lashed out at the state government for the incident, alleging that there has been a 22 per cent rise in crimes against women in the state. “I demand that the Congress government should immediately wake up from its slumber and take action to ensure the safety of women in the state,” she said.

Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka directed the Police Department to take stringent action against those involved in rape cases.