The Andaman and Nicobar Islands police have arrested a UK national for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman tourist from Bengaluru, according to officials on Monday.
The 30-year-old victim filed a police complaint, detailing the incident which allegedly occurred on February 26 at a scuba diving resort in Govind Nagar (Beach No. 2) on Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Islands). The woman had traveled to the Andamans with a friend and met the foreign national, who was learning scuba diving at the time.
A Zero FIR was lodged by the victim on March 6, which was later transferred to the Swaraj Dweep police station for further investigation.
South Andaman SP Manoj Kumar Meena confirmed that the suspect has been arrested and is currently in 14-day judicial custody. “We have arrested the foreign national. Probe is ongoing, and we are awaiting medical records,” he said.
The victim reportedly told authorities that she and the accused were socializing on the islands when, on February 26, her drink was allegedly spiked. When she regained consciousness at the resort, she found herself in a vulnerable state. After returning to her hometown, she informed her parents, who advised her to file a complaint.
Due to the trauma and amnesia, the victim did not report the incident immediately, but filed the complaint after more than a week. In her FIR, she detailed the assault and the psychological aftermath she experienced.
The UK national was arrested under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for rape, Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, and Section 351(2) for criminal intimidation. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the case.
Read also: