KOCHI: Turkmenistan tourer Gaye (name changed) was smitten by the beguiling sights of Fort Kochi from the very moment she landed.She was travelling solo and checked into one of the homestays without any second thought. Hardly did she know she was entering her worst nightmare.She, along with another girl, who stayed at the homestay, was drugged and molested by the desk manger. “My passport was retained. I was told that if I reported the place I would be vilified by the authorities and the media as the owner is influential in the town and would lose his licence otherwise.I was freaked out for three days and opted to flee the country terrified,” she later wrote in the popular travel advice website tripadvisor.in.With more and more molestation reports coming up from Fort Kochi and Mattanchery, the tourist zone is rapidly turning unsafe for female tourists.“This incident happened in April this year and the accused has been absconding since then.When the police went through the C-Forms they found only young women were given admission at the place. Male tourists and families were informed that the rooms were full. There has been many cases where women tourists have been harassed and attacked. Many of them leave the place without lodging any complaint as they don’t want to destroy their holiday with legal hassles,” says K P Simpson, Fort Kochi Tourist Owner’s Association president.There were also cases where tourists were offered cigarettes coated with drugs and later molested. “This is having an adverse effect on the whole tourism scenario. Female visitors are considered easy preys and are exploited in a number of ways. They often fall victims to the wayside solicitors who promise them all the facilities at cheap rates. They will be put in rooms with peep holes,” says Antony, a native. According to the official records, majority of the complaints lodged by tourists are against molestation- related issues.Last month a Japanese woman was molested by the owner of the homestay she was staying. “There has been an increase in the number of complaints in the past few months and yes, ninety percent are molestation related ones,” says a senior police official in Mattanchery.Even domestic tourists complain about the uncomfortable ambiance near major spots like Princess Street, Bastin Street, Peter Cellic Street, Tower Road, Park Junction and Parade Ground Road. ‘The locale is really awesome, but the place puts you ill-at-ease with eve teasers staring all the time and there are small gangs who sit and comment on each and every girl who pass by. There are drunkards roaming around and despite the ban public smoking is rampant,” says Nisha K, a visitor from the city.
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