In a shocking incident, a tourist fell victim to assault and extortion after booking a “cheap hotel” in Delhi’s Paharganj.
According to a distress call received by journalist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, her friend's colleague faced a terrifying situation after opting for budget accommodation to store his luggage while attending a conference nearby.
As per Deepika’s post on X (formerly known as Twitter) after returning to the hotel to retrieve his belongings, the tourist was confronted by a group of 4-5 people who forcibly entered his room, accompanied by a woman who immediately removed her clothes.
Before the victim could understand what was going on, he was assaulted by the men. After this, the assailants took photos of the victim with the woman and threatened to make it public if he dared to report the incident to the police. The perpetrators asked the victim for ₹15,000 as ransom.
In the post, Deepika further said that the victim did not officially lodge a complaint as it seems that “police was also involved.”
This disturbing incident brings the importance of exercising caution when selecting accommodation, especially in areas known for questionable safety standards to the fore. Deepika in her social media post, talked about the need for travellers to thoroughly research and scrutinise hotel reviews before making reservations
In a subsequent post, Deepika informed that she has been contacted by the Delhi police in the matter.
She said that the Delhi police have “ extended all support & taking it seriously. Whether a cop who was with goons is a real cop or not is a matter of investigation. Have connected the victim with senior officers.”
