A recent incident at India Gate in Delhi has sparked outrage after a Russian tourist was harassed by a man attempting to film a dance video with her. The viral video shows the young woman, clearly uncomfortable, trying to take a photo when a dancer named Sachin Raj approaches her, persistently attempting to engage her in his video. Despite her visible discomfort, the man continues to follow and dance around her, even as she tries to walk away.
New Low: Delhi Man Harasses Russian Tourist, Posts It As #TrendingReels
The incident, which has raised concerns about the treatment of foreign tourists in India, also shows the woman's distressed parents witnessing the inappropriate behaviour. The man’s actions, seemingly for social media content, have drawn widespread criticism, with many calling for better respect and awareness towards visitors in popular tourist destinations.
7 Similar Cases Cause Alarm
Man Arrested For Harassing Korean Vlogger
A South Korean vlogger named Kelly faced harassment while filming a video and interacting with locals. While engaging with people at a market and casually sipping coconut water, Kelly was approached by a man who suddenly grabbed her. He placed his hand around her neck and looked at the camera, while another man joined in. The first man directed the other to stand closer, maintaining his hold on Kelly despite her discomfort.
In the video, Kelly expressed her unease, stating, "I have to run from here," and quickly moved away, noting, "They really like to hug." The Pune police arrested the individual who harassed Kelly in the city. The incident occurred during Diwali in November, 2023 while Kelly was recording a video in Pune's Ravet area, where she faced harassment.
Russian YouTuber Faced Harassment In Delhi
A Russian YouTuber, popular for her 'Koko in India' channel, faced harassment while strolling in Delhi's bustling Sarojini Nagar market. A video capturing the encounter went viral, wherein a man persistently attempts to engage her in conversation, repeatedly asking if she'd like to befriend him. However, it's the manner of his approach that makes her most uncomfortable.
During her live stream in the market, the man asks, "Can you be my friend?" As the conversation progresses, he expresses his desire to befriend a Russian woman, but things take an inappropriate turn. He tells her, "Aap vaise bahut sexy ho. Kya aap (friend) banna pasand karoge?" which translates to "You are very sexy. Would you like to be my friend?"
This is not the first time a woman has been harassed, molested, or groped while living on a social media platform. Despite several warnings and punishments under Indian law, incidents like this continue to happen, which brings shame to the country.
Man Touches Spanish Influencer While Streaming Live
A popular Spanish influencer called Gonsabella on Instagram recently confronted a tourist who allegedly touched her inappropriately in a pub in Benidorm during a live stream on Twitch.
The man, who is believed to be a British tourist, withdrew his hand and continued his conversation with his friends.
Isabella went on to share the incident with her followers and explain that the man had grabbed her, making her uncomfortable and upset. Despite the harassing incident, she remained composed and addressed the situation by courageously confronting him.
Afortunamente ISABELLA GONZÁLEZ, la víctima de la agresión ha entendido mejor la Ley y sus efectos positivos, algo que, viendo la reacción de los usuarios de redes que cuenta, ha calado en la sociedad
— GUILLERMO GUIJARRO (@remerikos) September 22, 2023
¿No hay otro abogado menos machista y retrógrado, @EnBocaDe_Todos ?
sigue 👇 pic.twitter.com/EZpWyY6lhf
She later reported the incident to the local police in Costa Blanca and went on to describe her encounter with her followers, emphasising the importance of speaking up against harassment. The police lauded her for reporting the incident, although identifying the man through the live footage seemed challenging.
Spanish Journalist Groped While Reporting Live
Earlier this month, a Spanish journalist, Isa Balado, was groped by a man who approached her from behind while she was covering a robbery in Madrid on behalf of the Cuatro channel. The man placed his hands on her under the pretext of inquiring about her channel.
Despite the incident, the journalist maintained her composure and continued reporting. However, the programme’s host, Nacho Abad, was shocked by the incident and interrupted, asking, “Isa, please forgive me for interrupting you, but did he just touch your butt?”
As Isa confirmed that the man had touched her inappropriately, Abad insisted she capture him on camera and expressed his astonishment, saying, "I simply can't comprehend it. Can you bring that man in front of me, please? Present this thoughtless individual to me! This individual is behaving foolishly."
The journalist then confronted the man, asking, "Regardless of your curiosity about our channel, is it truly necessary to touch my backside? I'm in the middle of a live broadcast, and I'm working.”
Korean Influencer Molested While Streaming Live
Similarly, a video showed a South Korean social media influencer being molested and groped from behind by a man who seemed to be an Indian.
The incident happened on a staircase inside the MTR Central station and went viral on social media. She began a conversation with a fellow passenger about train timings and when they began walking, he tried to put his hand around her and tried to yank her.
The man grabbed her, forced her into a corner, held her waist, and kissed her before she finally managed to get away from him. The clip visibly showed how distressed the woman was, as she desperately called for help and even mentioned that she was not alone. Unfortunately, no one came to help her.
Tourist Woman Harassed In Rajasthan
In July, a British couple uploaded a video on their YouTube channel showing them walking on the street. While the male partner was filming, a creepy man who claimed himself to be a local tourist guide harassed the woman by touching her inappropriately.
The woman seemed visibly uncomfortable with his behaviour as the harasser casually touched her arm and groped her breasts while she politely asked him to leave. At the end of the video, the woman says, “If you come to India, expect to be manhandled and groped.”
Rajasthan Man Flashes At Korean Tourist
In April, a Korean blogger who was shooting a video of herself as she walked through the streets of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, was harassed by a male local resident. The video showed her cheerfully walking when a man suddenly began stalking her and then went on to flash his private parts at her.
The woman immediately hurried from the spot, calling for help, while the man could be seen laughing behind her. He was then identified and arrested by the local police.