British woman jumps off hotel room to escape molestation bid by manager

Agra (PTI): Close on the heels of the gang-rape of a Swiss tourist in Madhya Pradesh, a 25-year-old British woman tourist on Tuesday jumped out of a first-floor hotel room here over fears of a sex attack and sustained leg injuries. The tourist, a dentist from London, who had checked into the hotel in Idgah area, about 4 km from the Taj Mahal, two days back, told the police that she had asked for a wake-up call at 4 am. The hotel owner Sachin Chauhan knocked at her door at 3.45 am and offered a "free hand massage" saying it was part of hotel's special services for foreign guests, Subhash Chandra Dubey, SSP, Agra, told reporters here.A She refused and closed the door. But soon, the owner came with the security guard and tried to open the door. The tourist said she locked the room from inside and leapt from the first-floor window to the level below, injuring her leg. She was treated for ligament injury at the district hospital and later moved to another hotel, police said. The police said the victim was a dentist from London who had arrived in India three weeks back and travelled to different parts before reaching Agra. Chauhan, a Delhi native, was arrested on molestation, harassment and other charges, police said. The hotel owner claimed that he was being falsely implicated as he had gone to only wake her up because she had not responded when the hotel staff had tried ringing her on the intercom. The British High Commission in Delhi said its officials had spoken to the woman and to the local police and that consular assistance was being provided to her. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has reviewed its travel advisory for women travellers to India. "We are aware of an incident involving a British national in Agra, and are urgently looking into it. We are in contact with local authorities and are providing consular assistance to the woman," an FCO spokesperson told PTI in London.

Chiru suspends Agra hotel's 3-star ratingA New Delhi (PTI): Taking serious note of the attempt to molest a foreign tourist in Agra, Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi on Tuesday ordered suspension of the three-star rating of Hotel Agra Mahal, where the incident took place.A The Tourism Ministry also issued a show cause notice to the hotel asking it why its licence should not be cancelled. Chiranjeevi took up the matter with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and sought a proper system to ensure safety of tourists in the country. Close on the heels of the gang-rape of a Swiss tourist in Madhya Pradesh, the 25-year-old British tourist jumped off her hotel room in Agra to save herself from the alleged sexual assault bid and suffered a leg fracture.A While speaking to Shinde, he requested for putting in place a proper system to ensure the safety and security of all tourists especially women and children across the country.