NEW DELHI – European woman tourist was harassed in India resulting inleaving the country within 24 hours, media has reported.
She had come to India in December from Belgium, went back home in less than24 hours after she was allegedly harassed by several people on her trip tothe country, the police said on Monday, DNA has reported.
Upon her return to her country, she wrote to the Belgium Embassy, whichfurther shared the complaint with the Ministry of External Affairslink.
Then, a case was registered, after which an investigation by the Delhipolice is underway.
In the complaint emailed to the Belgium Embassy, the victim wrote that shelanded in Delhi on December 6 around 4 pm.
After reaching Delhi, she bought a SIM card and reached New Delhi [RailwayStation] from where she took an autorickshaw that took her to Minto Road.
But instead of taking her to the destination, the driver allegedly stoppedin front of two men who showed her “cards of police” and told her that thearea was cordoned off because of protests and in order to move ahead, shewill have to get permission from the tourist police, whose address theyprovided her.
The autorickshaw driver then dropped her off a few minutes later at a spotwhere there were six men in uniform who told her that the zone where shewishes to go is inaccessible and that she should immediately leave NewDelhi, the victim wrote in her email.
The victim was then allegedly shown videos of “live violent protests”.
The woman was also asked whether her jewellry was made of gold or not.
The men then offered to call the hotel she had booked and conned her intobelieving that the booking was cancelled.
The men then suggested she go to central Delhi and directed her towards anautorickshaw, which was waiting outside the “police centre”.
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The driver took her to a travel agency in NDMC market where she wasreceived by two men, who allegedly made her speak with a someone over thephone for hotel booking.
“They could sense I am overwhelmed by the situation. I started to worry andwas tired after wandering for five hours. They offered me a few hotels,which I said no to because they were expensive. Exhausted, I said yes tothe one that suits me. I paid $40 cash [sic],” she wrote.
She was then dropped at the hotel where she was taken to the third floor ina room with no windows and internet connection.
The victim then locked herself in the room and did not open the door atall.
Later, when her new SIM card activated, she contacted an acquaintance inRishikesh and narrated the ordeal.
The acquaintance then called the hotel where the woman had made the bookingearlier and was informed that her room had not cancelled.
A staffer of the hotel where the victim had made the booking earlier, cameand took her there.
The next day, she took the first plane back to her country. She wasstartled.
In the complaint to the police, the Ministry wrote that the woman washarassed by several people including an autorickshaw driver, a travelagency, a hotel as well as fake police forces.
