It was far from an ideal holiday for Xavier Drovadene, 36, a computer technician from France and his girlfriend Stephanie Martin who arrived in Mumbai a month ago.
It was far from an ideal holiday for 36-year-old Xavier Drovadene, a computer technician from France and his girlfriend Stephanie Martin who arrived in Mumbai a month ago.
While chasing a teenager who stole Rs2,000 in cash from him outside his hotel, the unsuspecting tourist got tricked by some thugs posing as plainclothes policemen who proceeded to bash him up and take the rest of his belongings.
On March 7, a day after he had arrived in the city, Drovadene’s pocket was picked by a teenager as he was walking past Akbar Peerbhoy College on Grand Road. Despite giving him chase, the boy managed to escape. As he was about to turn around, the tourist was approached by three men who had seen the entire incident and convinced him they could help. Believing them to be plainclothes policemen, Drovadene sat in their car. After a city tour of several hotels and clubs in search of the teenager, the men took him to an isolated place in the western suburbs and beat him up. They forcibly took 400 Euros, a Casio camera and a black Apple iPhone, before pushing him out of the car.
An injured Drovadene wandered the streets all night until a pedestrian gave him some money to take an auto rickshaw to Andheri police station. By this time it was around 8am on March 8. The police contacted the French Consulate. Consulate officials also informed his girlfriend at Shalimar Hotel in Grant Road where the couple was staying.
“We have registered a case under sections 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 379 (theft) and 34 (common intention) against the four robbers, “ said a police officer attached to the DB Marg police station, adding that a manhunt has been launched to nab the robbers. Drovadene and his girlfriend were not available for comment since they have now left the country.
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