Growing attacks on tourists on the beach and nearby places here have become a matter of grave concern. Though the State Government boasts of providing adequate security to the tourists along the beach to prevent harassment propagating the much-hyped slogan 'home away home', given the rising attacks on the tourists every day, it sounds much ado about nothing.
According to sources, within three days, fake pearl necklace vendors assaulted tourists in two different cases after unsuccessful attempt to sell the merchandise. The visitors, who refused to buy, were roughed up and even their women folks were not spared.
They were left with bleeding injuries. The latest attack on Wednesday was the second incident in a row when the visitors were attacked for refusing to buy fake pearl ornaments.
According to reports, two families AK Power, Anil Dibakar Rathod, Kishore Rathod, Vaishali and Meena Rathod of Akola, Maharastra had come to Puri and were whiling away on the beach, when a vendor asked them to buy pearl ornaments.
They saw the material and suspecting it to be fake refused to buy. The vendor forced them to purchase. When they refused again, it drew the wrath of the vendor. Soon, a few other pearl vendors assembled and allegedly roughed up the visitors. They even did not spare the women, who, seeing their men being attacked, came to the rescue.
The injured visitors lodged a complaint with the sea beach police station which is just 200 yards away from the place where they were attacked. Even as a number of onlookers were standing nearby, none came to rescue the visitors. No police personnel were on duty at the place too, the victims said.
The sea beach police registered a criminal case and arrested three in the connection. The arrested belong to nearby Balinolia Sahi, police informed, adding that efforts were on to arrest the others.
Interestingly, in a daring incident, some anti-socials threatened the visitors while they were returning
from police station after filing the complaint.
They raised an alarm and the nearby police nabbed two of them. They were detained and being questioned, the police said.
The visitors were later sent to a hospital in police escort and were discharged after administration of first aid. The visitors left Puri after the police recorded their statements.
Earlier, on the Monday last, in another similar incident, a couple from Kakatpur was assaulted and had to be hospitalised for injuries inflicted by the pearl vendors.Puri Superintendent of Police Anup Kumar Sahu said stringent action would be taken against the culprits involved in the attacks on the visitors.