Police to patrol Goa hills following molestation

Panaji: Goa Police have extended their patrolling from beaches to hill slopes used by tourists to trek from one beach to another after two foreigners were molested by domestic tourists on one such route.

The Australian tourists were molested Friday evening by two separate groups of domestic tourists, who tried to waylay the women and fondle them while they were walking from Anjuna beach to Baga beach in north Goa connected by a scenic hill slope overlooking the sea.

"They were walking from one beach to another when they were accosted by these two groups. We are investigating the matter," police inspector Vishwesh Karpe said.

He said hotels and lodges in nearby areas were being scanned to look out for the four attackers, based on the identity described by the victims.

The two 24-year-old tourists from Australia told police that while in the first instance, they had to push aside one of the attackers to make a getaway, in the other case, a group of unidentified Indian tourists ringed them and tried to fondle them while they were walking from Anjuna to Baga.

This is not the first time friction between domestic and foreign tourists has led to police complaints being filed.

Cases of male domestic tourists harassing sun-bathing foreign women or even those dressed in beach wear are often reported through the tourist season which begins in October and stretches till March.