Govt directed to check crime against foreign tourists in Taj city

Lucknow, Feb 29: Uttar Pradesh assembly today expressed its concern over the rising crimes against foreign tourists visiting the Taj Mahal while speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar directed the government to make proper police arrangements to prevent such crimes.

Raising the issue through an adjournment motion during the zero hour, Janmorcha member Dharampal Singh claimed that since February 14, at least five cases of purse snatching cases had been reported on the Taj permises.

He said it was unfortunate that even after having three-tier security system at the Taj, the criminals get away with petty crimes with targeting foreign tourists.

Narrating the details, he said while on February 14 a woman tourist from France was robbed, the next day a purse was snatched from a tourist from Scotland. On Februrary 16, criminals robbed 36000 US dollars from an US citizen while on February 21 a UK woman tourist's purse was snatched. Similarly on February 23, the criminals snatched away her purse from a tourist from Canada.

Mr Singh demanded that adequate security should be given to all the foreign tourists as these petty crimes were earning bad name for the state. He also said that lack of coordination between the CISF manning the Taj and local police was one of the reasons for the rise in such crime.

Replying to the motion, state parliamentary affairs minister Lalji Verma said the government was concerned with such petty crime at the Taj permises and assured the house that all precautionary measures would be taken to prevent such in future.

UNI