It was just as disgraceful, the experience just as nightmarish for the two foreigners who were groped and molested at a New Year party in Kochi, but there was one difference — the Kochi police were quick to act. Minutes after the incident, the police arrested an offender; now they are on the lookout for others.
The foreign tourists were unwilling to file a complaint, so the Fort Kochi police registered a case suo motu, the first of its sort in the country. “The incidents were unfortunate but we acted swiftly and nabbed an offender, a teenager named Shafeeque (17). Police officers at the spot asked the victims to give a written complaint, which they refused. Most foreigners suffer in silence as they fear they may have to stay back for further proceedings. But we cannot let these hooligans go scot-free,” Kochi Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham said.