Friday, 21 March 2025
Friday, 21 March 2025
The alleged rape of a British woman in Delhi’s Mahipalpur on March 11 throws light on the largely insecure environment foreign tourists are exposed to. The woman had come to India to meet a man she had connected with on Instagram. The police have arrested the accused and informed the British High Commission, but that does little to change the reality — India remains unsafe for foreign tourists.
From gang rapes to public harassment, the safety of visitors — especially women — stands in question.
The Telegraph Online puts together a list of incidents that show how India is largely unsafe for foreigners.
Israeli tourist gang-raped near Hampi (March, 2025)
In Karnataka, a 27-year-old Israeli tourist and another woman were gang-raped while stargazing near Hampi on March 8. The men they were traveling with were beaten and pushed into a canal. One of them was later found dead.
Spanish woman gang-raped in Jharkhand (March, 2024)
In Jharkhand, a Spanish woman was brutally gang-raped while traveling to Nepal on March 1, 2024. Her attackers beat her and her husband before robbing them. “Seven men raped me. They have beaten us and robbed us, although not many things [were taken] because what they wanted was to rape me,” she said in a video. Her husband added, “My mouth is destroyed, but my partner is worse than me.”
Russian woman harassed in Udaipur (January, 2025)
In Udaipur, popular YouTuber Mithilesh Backpacker captured an incident where a group of men harassed his Russian wife at the City Palace in January. One man made a sexually suggestive remark, implying she could be “bought” for Rs 6,000. When the YouTuber confronted him, security guards told him to drop the matter. “I wanted to promote Indian tourism, that India is so beautiful, so safe. And when something like this happens, what do I do?” he asked.
Dutch travel influencer harassed on train from Delhi to Agra (January, 2025)
A Dutch travel influencer faced harassment on a train from Delhi to Agra. A man repeatedly took selfies without her consent and stared at her phone screen, ignoring her requests to stop. “I got into the train extremely tired, hoping for some rest, but the man sitting next to me was constantly talking to me and taking secret pictures of me,” she said.
Delhi man harasses foreign tourists in public (September, 2024)
Here’s another incident in Delhi that involves a man harassing a foreign tourist filming a dance reel in public. The video, posted on Instagram in September 2024, shows the man dancing provocatively near a tourist despite her visible discomfort.
Jaipur man records himself 'pricing' foreign women (June, 2024)
In Jaipur, an Instagram user named @guru__brand0000 recorded himself rating women tourists as if they were commodities. “She is available for Rs 150, she is for Rs 200, you can get her for Rs 500 and this one is for Rs 300,” he said in a video. The women, unaware of what he was saying, waved at the camera, smiling.
The idea of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (Guest is God) crumbles in the face of these crimes.
