After Swiss couple, German national beaten up by railway supervisor in UP

A German national and a railway employee entered into an altercation at the Robertsganj railway station in Sonebhadra district after which both filed complaints against each other, police said on Sunday.

The railway employee alleged that he had greeted Holger Erik Misch by saying “welcome to India”, when the German hit him.

Police are now probing the incident which comes days after a Swiss couple were attacked near the railway station at Agra’s Fatehpur Sikri. Misch has an FIR registered against him in Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, senior officials said.

Misch and railway supervisor Aman Kumar entered into an altercation and fought with each other on Saturday around 1 pm at platform number one of the Robertsganj railway station, a senior police official said in Lucknow.

“According to reports, the railway supervisor enquired the German national about his well being, which angered him. The German hit the railway employee, who might have pushed him in retaliation. Based on the complaints of the two, non-cognisable reports have been registered. Their medical examination has been conducted,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anand Kumar told reporters in Lucknow.

Police officials said that it had also emerged that an FIR was lodged against the German national on July 5 in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, on charges of attacking a person with a sharp edged weapon.

His passport and visa is deposited in the chief judicial magistrate court, they said.

Kumar claimed that when he greeted Misch by saying “welcome to India”, the German hit him. Misch refused to talk to the media.

Earlier, on October 22, two tourists from Switzerland, Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24, and Marie Droz, 24, were chased and attacked with stones and sticks by a group of five youths in Fatehpur Sikri, triggering widespread outrage.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had sought a report from the UP government on the attack. Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons had dashed off a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying the incident could have a negative impact on the image of the country.

The couple were offered a free stay in a 5-star hotel in the national capital as a “token of concern” by Alphons.

Even as the police probed German national Misch’s allegations, the Samajwadi Party attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party government over what it called the “growing attacks” on foreign tourists in the state.

“Earlier in Agra and now in Sonebhadra. The situation is the same everywhere. It’s a big achievement on the tourism front that the pride and lives of foreign tourists are in danger. This is Yogi (Adityanath) government,” SP spokesman Sunil Singh Sajan said.

BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi said that the incident was unnecessarily “hyped” by the opposition.

“It was a fight between two individuals and police was prompt to intervene. The German national had a case lodged against him. A probe is on in the matter. If any one is guilty, he will be taken care of by the police,” Tripathi said.