Swiss couple allegedly beaten near the Taj Mahal

[KMack]

LUCKNOW, India — Police in India are investigating the brutal beating of a Swiss couple near a fort close to the famed Taj Mahal.

Quentin Jeremy Clerc and girlfriend Marie Droz, both 24, were beaten with sticks and stones by a group of men over the weekend near the Fatehpur Sikri fort in Agra, police said. The attack left Clerc with a fractured skull and Droz with a broken arm.

The Swiss couple from Lausanne told police the men were heckling and stalking them and insisting on taking selfies with Droz. When Clerc asked to be left alone, the men started beating them with sticks and someone in the group threw stones.

Foreign tourists routinely face harassment in India, with groups of people, often fascinated by blonde hair or blue eyes, whistling and catcalling at them. Others may take photos without permission or insist of posing for selfies.

http://nypost.com/2017/10/26/swiss-couple-allegedly-beaten-near-the-taj-mahal/

[JMack]

Foreign tourists routinely face harassment in India, with groups of people, often fascinated by blonde hair or blue eyes, whistling and catcalling at them. Others may take photos without permission or insist of posing for selfies.


Harassment is a bit strong word to use, it's more like an annoying thing... I've been there and sometimes I was just walking around and some kids jumped on me saying ''sir, picture, selfie, sir''. But that's all. I met many other whites/westerners travelling there and no one said anything about bad situations or agression. Indian people is very friendly and quite chill, I would say they are far more friendlier and respectful than Northern Europeans and some East Euros.

The worst thing in India are the vendors and tuk-tuk drivers IMO. If you're light skinned they will follow you all the time. Beggars also follow you if you're white.

It's unconfortable, but nothing a mature guy can't handle. Overall it's a very calm and safe place, cases like this one seem to be very rare.