Thiruvananthapuram: One of the two men, who allegedly misbehaved with the two European women tourists at Thiruvambadi beach in Varkala, was arrested by the police on Thursday. The accused have been identified as Mahesh, a native of Varkala.

According to reports, the women tourists, who were taking a stroll on the beach, were abused by the men on Monday evening. However, the incident came to light only on Thursday when they informed the Varkala Police of the harassment. They have been staying at a homestay near the Papanasham beach at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district for past six months as they could not return to their home countries due to the COVID-induced lockdown.

"While walking on the beach, a man came towards us and we were scared. Soon we started to run, he also came after us. When a third person saw this happening, the person behind us stopped and he ran away," said the lady who was at the receiving end.

Though the tourists did not file a formal complaint, the police decided to register a case and began investigations.

The incident has become a matter of shame for Kerala tourism. Varkala is a hugely popular beach destination in Kerala about 40 kms from the state capital.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)

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