PONDA: Tension flared up in Ponda town after a tourist woman manhandled a local Pandari Naik from Kavlem for advising the woman and her companions to follow traffic rules.
According to Pandari, he was returning home from Ponda market on his scooter and on reaching Hotel Menino a tourist vehicle entered through ‘no-entry’ and blocked the road thereby obstructing his movement.
Therefore, Pandari said, he informed the driver of the vehicle that he had taken a wrong route and advised him to return. However, instead of appreciating his advice, the driver picked up a quarrel with him and in the meanwhile, a woman from the vehicle got down and manhandled him, while the male occupants damaged his spectacles, Pandari added.
Other locals who were witnessing the incident informed the Ponda police who rushed to the spot and took the tourists into their custody. All them were from Pune, police said.
Meanwhile, a large number of locals gathered at the police station demanding strict action against the tourists for misbehaving with Pandari. Sensing that tension was running high and realising their wrong doing, the tourists apologised to Pandari and other locals with folded hands and paid compensation for the damage caused to Pandari. Thereafter, the crowd dispersed.
