'Rape, violence, terrorism': US suddenly updates travel advisory for India, asks women not to travel alone

The US State Department has issued a sudden level-2 travel warning to India, which urges travelers to "exercise increased caution". The advisory was issued on June 16 "due to crime and terrorism," it said, adding that some areas have increased risk. "Rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crimes, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, government facilities," the advisory said.

"The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas. These areas stretch from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal. Due to risks, US government employees working in India must obtain special authorisation to travel to these states," the advisory said.

Specifying the dos and the don'ts, the advisory mentioned that possession of a satellite phone or a GPS device is illegal in India and may result in a penalty of $200,00 or jail time of up to three years, "Do not travel alone, especially if you are a woman," it said.


Jammu and Kashmir, India-Pakistan border, parts of central and east India were mentioned for extra caution as the advisory listed out some states where US government employees should not travel without prior permission if they want to travel beyond the capital cities of these states.

Due to the changing nature of the threat, US government employees working in India are required to obtain permission prior to traveling to most areas in the states of:

1. Bihar
2. Jharkhand
3. Chhattisgarh
4. West Bengal
5. Meghalaya
6. Odisha

Permission is not required if employees are traveling only to the capital cities of these states, the advisory stated.

"US government employees working in India also need approval to travel to the eastern region of Maharashtra and the eastern region of Madhya Pradesh. US citizens are advised not to cross the India-Nepal border by land due to the risk of immigration related detention and fines," it said. Manipur, the Northeastern states also found special mention in the updated travel advisory.