People warned me not to come to India: Foreign woman repeatedly harassed at Mumbai’s Dhobi Ghat

A man approaches the traveller and asks for a selfie near Dhobi Ghat; she is seen declining ; The man is seen asking again for a photograph despite her refusal; The man and another individual continue attempting to engage the traveller

A viral video from Mumbai has triggered a police case after a foreign solo traveller alleged she was followed and repeatedly pressured for a selfie by two young men near the Dhobi Ghat viewing deck at Mahalaxmi station on Wednesday, despite clearly refusing.

Police have registered a suo motu FIR for stalking based on the footage, even as the traveller, who had been touring India for nearly two months, said the incident stood out as the first time she felt unsafe during an otherwise positive journey across the country.

The two men are seen walking behind the woman in the viral video; Both individuals approach her again, continuing to request a selfie; The men are seen once more attempting to interact with the traveller despite repeated refusals

Aftermath

The traveller later posted that Mumbai Police had been helpful and supportive in handling the matter.

At the end of the clip, the traveller is seen pushing one of the men away

What the traveller said in the caption

"This was the first time something like this happened to me in India. And I've been here for 2 months now. Most of my experience has been beautiful, kind and welcoming. But this day was different. They kept following us, asking for photos even after I said ‘no' multiple times. I didn't feel comfortable, and they were super pushy. They followed us around for over 15 minutes, and it started to feel really overwhelming. At some point, I had to physically push them away just to create space. Just a reminder that ‘no' is a full sentence. And your safety and comfort always come first."

Police response

£FIR registered suo motu
£Under the stalking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
£Investigation underway
Accused to be identified through footage

Viral incident at a glance

Location
Dhobi Ghat viewing deck near Mahalaxmi station

When
Wednesday

Allegation
Two men followed traveller for over 15 minutes

Police action
Suo motu FIR under BNS Section 78 (stalking)

Accused
Two unidentified men being traced from video

Social media impact

67.4k
9950
30.5k

Traveller's India journey

Started
January 1

Cities covered
Mysore, Bengaluru, Kochi, Coorg, Munnar, Varkala, Thekkady, Alleppey, Goa, Mumbai

Next stop
Rajasthan

Time spent in India so far
Nearly two months

Safety helplines for women in Mumbai

Emergency police
100

National emergency helpline
112

Women's helpline (all-India)
181

Mumbai police women's helpline
103

Mumbai police WhatsApp helpline
8454999999