'Got carried away': Teen's mother defends son groping American woman
What's the story
A teenage boy allegedly groped a United States woman on the Delhi Metro. The incident was reported by Gaurav Sabnis, an Indian-origin professor at New Jersey's Stevens Institute of Technology. Sabnis stated that in November, a former pupil approached him and asked for tips, as she was traveling to India to attend a friend's wedding. "I told her, be on guard for sexual harassment. Especially in Delhi....There, you'll be a target. Sadly, came true," he said in his X post.
Harassment account
'Got asked for a lot of selfies'
He shared a note from his former student who detailed her experience of being harassed during her visit. The US woman said she was asked for selfies by strangers, a common occurrence for her as a blonde in India. "As you had predicted, I got asked for a lot of selfies. I thought you were exaggerating, but WOW! Starting from the baggage carousel in Delhi on landing, strangers were asking me for selfies," the American woman said.
Details
Boy's mother and sister stepped in to defend him
However, one incident marred her experience when a teenage boy groped her at a Delhi Metro station after asking to take a selfie with her. "He just straight up grabbed my breasts hard and spanked my butt and giggled like he had played a joke," said the woman. Furious, she grabbed him by the collar. But the boy's mother and sister stepped in to defend him.
Online outrage
Public reaction to harassment incident and defense
They allegedly began to berate the woman for her reaction, claiming the teenager had never seen a blonde before and had simply "got carried away." She described it as an "unfortunate and ugly" incident that tainted her overall impression of India. She told her former professor that while she loved the country, she wouldn't visit again due to this experience. "In fact, I'm going to give all of South Asia a pass," she said.
Travel impact
Woman's negative impression of India after harassment incident
The incident has sparked an online debate after Sabnis shared it. Many suggested filing a complaint, while others apologized on behalf of their countrymen. One user wrote, "The saddest thing is, some women are the biggest enablers of their 'raja betas' behavior." "ALL of my female friends, both Indian and visitors, including every woman in my family, have experienced sexual harassment in India. Several by their own family," another user wrote.