New Delhi, Oct 15: In the second shocking incident in ten days, a 35-year-old Swiss diplomat was raped and an Indian film-maker was attacked in a gap of half an hour outside the venue of the ongoing International Film Festival last night in a posh South Delhi locality. Even as they were groping over the identity of the two men behind the rape of the attache in the consular section of Swiss Embassy, police reported rape of a nine-year-old girl allegedly by her teacher in a school in North West Delhi.

As the incidents sent shock waves across the Capital, police suspended five of its men deployed outside the Siri Fort Auditorium, venue of the film festival, for laxity in duty.

The Swiss woman was raped after being abducted in her car by two men who abandoned her in the vehicle far away from her home in posh Westend Area of South West Delhi. The assault took place when the woman was leaving Siri Fort auditorium after watching a movie at the International Film Festival of India at around 10 pm last night, police sources said.

As she entered her car in the parking lot of the auditorium, two men forced themselves into the vehicle. One of them then raped her as the vehicle was driven through South Delhi streets, they said.

The victim was later dumped by the two assailants in Safdarjung Enclave area, about five kilometers from the place of abduction, they said. The External Affairs Ministry is in touch with the Swiss Embassy.

Within 30 minutes of the incident involving the Swiss woman, an Indian woman film-maker was attacked in the same parking lot by a group of men. While police said it was an attempt to rob her, unconfirmed reports said it could have been another attempt at sexual assault.

The film-maker, however, escaped by raising an alarm but she had to be hospitalised for treatment of head injuries suffered when she was pushed onto the pavement.

Directorate of Film Festival lodged an FIR with the police on rape and assault incidents while security was tightened at the venue. Last night's incident took place 10 days after the rape of a college student by four army men in daylight in a popular park.

Bureau Report