German tourist alleges molestation by 'babas' in Varanasi

Varanasi, July 31: The Police in Varanasi have arrested a man for allegedly molesting a German woman at a local ashram. The German tourist in her complaint, claimed that she was molested by three men who were living in the same dharamshala as her.

Reportedly, a case has been registered on the basis of her complaint by Varanasi Police. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched to nab the remaining accused.

The 32-year-old woman had been living at an ashram which doubles as a dharamshala for the past two days, said an officer investigating the matter. He added that she has been in Varanasi for almost two months now.

A case was registered against the accused after the woman approached Shivpur police station along with a fellow disciple and narrated her ordeal. The complainants alleged that the three accused barged into the woman's room on Tuesday and began touching her "inappropriately".

On the basis of their complaint, police have booked the accused under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which corresponds to the punishment for assault or criminal force on a woman with the intention of outraging her modesty. Reports by various media outlets also allege that two of the three accused are "babas". However, the same is yet to be confirmed. A further police investigation into the matter is underway, according to the Mirror Now report.

This is not the first time a German national has alleged sexual assault in India. In 2017, a 24-year-old German woman was raped by unidentified men in Mahabalipuram town of Tamil Nadu which is about 50 kilometres from the state capital Chennai. The woman was part of a group of tourists who were visiting Tamil Nadu. Police claimed that the woman was resting on a private beach owned by a local resort in the area when she went for a stroll. She wandered far from the rest of the group and ended up on a remote part of the beach where she was allegedly raped by unidentified men.