Brazilian attacked, threatened by locals

A Brazilian national who works as a fitness trainer in the Millennium City was attacked and threatened for life by a group of locals, the police said on Wednesday.

A Brazilian national who works as a fitness trainer in the Millennium City was attacked and threatened for life by a group of locals, the police said on Wednesday.

HT Image

The accused threw acid on Toni Giannini, 32, and deflated tyres of his car on Tuesday. The victim has been working with the Celebrity Fitness Club, situated on the MG Road, for the past five years. He lives along with her fiancée in a rented accommodation in Sushant Lok-1.

Steven Westley, the managing director of the company that runs the fitness centre, lodged a complaint that the Brazilian trainer was attacked a couple of times earlier by a group of locals. The complainant also named a Gurgaon-based trainer and his relatives as suspects in Tuesday’s attack. However, the police are yet to register an FIR in the case.

“The mob of men regularly harass me at my club. They eat from our cafeteria and do not even pay bills. They scream and yell at me in front of my staff and have threatened me to leave the place,” Westley said.

On February 14, a group of miscreants barged into the centre and started abusing Toni after he asked them to wait and let the ladies enter the cycling studio first as a mark of respect, he said.

Giannini said that he has been harassed mentally by his counterparts in the club for the last one year. One of his colleagues and his relative, a local, had threatened him and tried to misbehave with him in public often.

“The accused have insulted me a number of times. Even my fiancée was also molested and obscene comments were passed on her. Though the matter was reported to police, a compromise was reached between both the parties. But that has not solved the issue. Now I fear for my life and plan to pack by bags and go back to my country,” Giannini said.

SHO Sector 29 police station, Hardeep said, “We have called both the parties on Sunday and we will make sure no injustice is done to anyone. Meanwhile we are conducting investigations.”