A man was arrested for allegedly attacking a German tourist at Sonbhadra railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, ANI reported. Aman Kumar, a local electrician, allegedly assaulted Holger Erik because the latter ignored his greetings, the Hindustan Times reported, quoting the police. Erik was later taken to a hospital.
Uttar Pradesh Police, however, said that a complaint has been lodged against the German man too. “I think he [Holger Erik] has some depression issues,” Additional Director General A Kumar told ANI. “There have been previous complaints against the German national, his visa had expired and passport impounded earlier.”
The attack took place after Erik got down from a train and was looking for directions to go to Agori Fort for his research on the city. Kumar greeted him but got offended on not getting a reaction. He then allegedly pushed Erik to the ground and started slapping him, the police said.
“I am innocent, the German tourist punched me when I said ‘welcome to India’ to him,” Kumar said. “He even spat on me.”
The attack on the German tourist comes days after a Swiss couple was assaulted by a group of people in Agra’s Fatehpur Sikri on October 22. Quentin Jeremy Clerc’s skull was fractured and his hearing was affected in the assault while Marie Droz was left with a broken arm.
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