Tourism in the country has taken a beating in the wake of molestation bids on foreign women.

A British woman had sustained critical injuries after jumping off a hotel’s balcony to escape a molestation attempt in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh and a Swiss woman was allegedly gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh within a week.

The 30-year-old British woman, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Agra after Tuesday’s incident, had checked in the Agra Mahal Hotel two days ago. The police have arrested hotel owner Sachin Chauhan on charges of molestation and other sections of the
Indian Penal Code, according to reports.  

Taking a serious note of the alleged molestation bid, Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi ordered suspension of the hotel’s three-star rating. “The ministry has also issued a show cause notice to the hotel, asking it why its license should not be cancelled,” a ministry official said. On March 15, a Swiss woman was allegedly gang-raped at a secluded spot near Datia town, about 75 km from Gwalior. The victim, who was on a cycling trip from Orchha to Agra with her husband, was camping in the Jhadia village when the incident occurred.

The miscreants had also beaten her husband. The tourism minister condemned the incident. He also called Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, urging him to take necessary steps to arrest the perpetrators, besides assuring the Swiss Ambassador to India, Linus Von Castelmurhim, of taking all possible steps to render justice to the victim.