Uttar Pradesh: Japanese tourist drugged, robbed by man posing as tour guide in Varanasi

After consuming a spiked soft drink offered by the accused, Tanaka fell unconscious and later found himself in Shastrinagar when he woke up.

Concerns regarding the safety of foreign tourists in Uttar Pradesh seem to remain unaddressed. A Japanese tourist was allegedly drugged, looted of his cash and belongings by a man posing as a tour guide in Varanasi.

The incident took place on Thursday when Akihiro Tanaka, a resident of Tokyo, arrived in the temple city by bus from Agra. He met the impostor during a visit to a Buddhist site in Sarnath, the police said, adding that from there they went to the Varanasi ghat for sightseeing.

After consuming a spiked soft drink offered by the accused, Tanaka fell unconscious and later found himself in Shastrinagar when he woke up. He has alleged that the man stole his bag that contained his visa, passport, 50,000 Yen and around Rs 20,000 in cash, along with an ATM card and other items.

Police has launched a manhunt against an unidentified man after registering an FIR.

This is not the first instance where foreign tourists have faced such adverse situations. In October, a Swiss couple was brutally thrashed by local youths in Agra.

Quentin Jeremy Clerc and his girlfriend Marie Droz (both 24) were chased by a group of four local boys, and assaulted with sticks and stones. While Clerc suffered a skull fracture and nerve damage, Droz was left with a number of broken bones. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had sought a report in this regard from the state government.

Earlier in 2014, a German woman was allegedly molested by a hotel manager at Agra.