We Played Wonderful Hosts To This US Woman. She Was Attacked And Molested By A Fake Godman But She Fought Back
As a woman born and brought up in India, I know I’ll never be able to muster up the courage to travel solo anywhere in the country. Because, you know, barring some places, travelling solo isn’t exactly safe. And, even if I manage to find a reliable place to explore on my own, my parents won’t allow me. Why? Refer to reason one. This is not some presumption I am making after reading a bunch of headlines (everyday) regarding molestation, harassment and rape of women travellers, but in fact, this is the sheer truth and grim reality of this country.
Another such incident of molestation of a tourist has come to light but this time the culprit got what he deserved and then some. On Sunday morning, a woman visiting from US was molested in her own home in Tamil Nadu where she was temporarily staying, by a man claiming to be a saint. The accused reportedly approached her outside her house and pushed her in, in an attempt to rape her. To his surprise, she fought back and slashed his face with a knife. The woman was trained in martial arts and thus was able to overpower him. I have one word for her—brilliant!
Also Read: A Woman From The US Got Raped In A Yoga Centre In Our Country. We Treat Our Women Badly, We Treat Tourists Badly. It Gets Worse Everyday
US woman in TN fights off rape attempt, slashes accused with knife
A 30-year-old American woman overpowered a 34-year-old man who attempted to rape her and managed to hand him over to the Tamil Nadu police with the help of neighbours.https://t.co/NJ4GhIPkS2
-via @inshorts— Amrita Bhinder 🇮🇳 (@amritabhinder) August 24, 2020
The 30-year-old had come to India before lockdown and had plans to leave after visiting Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. Since she was stuck here due to the lockdown, she decided extend her visa and rented a place. The 34-year-old attacker named Manikandan is a native of Namakkal and lived near her house. It has been reported that he had been stalking and observing her for a month before making the move. He came cladded in saffron clothes and rudraksh chains claiming to be a sage from the ashram.
The woman after injuring his face, cried for help and the neighbours caught hold of the fleeing culprit. They tied him to a tree and informed the police. He has been arrested and booked for attempting sexual assault. A senior police officer said, “We are questioning him, investigation is going on and nothing more could be divulged now.” He told the police that he has been travelling across pilgrimages in India for 17 years now and arrived in Tiruvannamalaia only six months earlier. Who knows, maybe this wasn’t his first attack and first victim. The women was taken to hospital as she suffered minor head injury but is doing fine.
To think that this man had the audacity to attack her in broad daylight, outside her house, and in a residential neighbourhood send shivers down my spine. What if the woman wasn’t trained in self-defence? It’s funny how women are conveniently told to be careful and alert at all times, but it’s not unusual for a woman to freeze up when she is attacked like this. This makes me realise the importance of self-defence, because apparently, we can’t expect the men to steer clear of harming women. That’s not going to happen anytime soon in India, it seems. Apparently, only self-defence techniques can save you from these perverts roaming in this country.
