A British woman has been injured after jumping from a hotel balcony to escape from alleged harassment in Agra, India, local police say. The woman, in her 30s, told police she asked for a wake-up call at 04:00 but when the hotel owner knocked on her door then, he offered her a massage.
She told police he would not leave so she locked the door and jumped from her balcony to the level below, injuring her leg, before fleeing the hotel. Police have arrested the hotel owner. They said he was still in custody and would be charged with sexual harassment in a local magistrates’ court on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the British High Commission in India said UK consular officials in Delhi have spoken to the woman and to the local police. A consular team is travelling to Agra to provide assistance to the woman, he added. The city is home to the Taj Mahal.
The senior superintendent of police in Agra, Subhah Chandra Dubey, told the BBC the woman’s injury to her leg ligament had been treated, and she had been moved to another hotel. She also had two women constables with her for her security, he said.
I – Word Understanding
Injured – physical damage
Alleged – attempt
Harassment – annoying action
Arrested – seize (someone) by legal authority
Custody – the protective care or guardianship of someone or something
Magistrates – civil officers or lay judges who administer the law
Consular – an official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country
Assistance – help
Ligament – fibrous connective tissue that connects two bones
Constables – peace officers
II – Have your say
1. Ninety percent of sexual harassment reported is male to female, 5%is female to male, 4 % is male to male and 1 % is female to female. Sexual harassment is not just a “women’s problem” — it’s everyone’s problem.
