Tourist guide arrested in Tiruvannamalai for sexually assaulting French tourist

The All Women Police Station (AWPS) of Tiruvannamalai Town police arrested a 42-year-old private tourist guide near the Arunachaleswara Temple in Tiruvannamalai on Wednesday (March 19, 2025), on the charge of sexually assaulting a French tourist who was visiting the town on a pilgrimage.

The All Women Police Station (AWPS) of Tiruvannamalai Town police arrested a 42-year-old private tourist guide near the Arunachaleswara Temple in Tiruvannamalai on Wednesday (March 19, 2025), on the charge of sexually assaulting a French tourist who was visiting the town on a pilgrimage.

The police said the accused Venkatesan was a resident of Tiruvannamalai town.

The preliminary inquiry found that the 46-year-old French tourist had arrived in the town in January and was staying at a private lodge. She came into contact with Venkatesan, who took her to various ashrams and pilgrimage sites in the town.

The police said Venkatesan misled the woman, claiming that meditating on Arunachala Hills would lead to salvation. On Monday (March 17, 2025), he took her to a secluded area on the hills, which is maintained by the Forest Department, on the pretext of finding the right spot for meditation. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her.

As she raised an alarm, devotees and passersby on the Girivalam path rescued her. Subsequently, she informed the French Consulate. Based on a complaint given by the Consulate to the Tiruvannamalai Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Sudhakar, a case was registered by the AWPS of Tiruvannamalai Town police. The police took her to the Government Medical College Hospital in the town, where a medical examination was conducted.

During an investigation along the Girivalam path, the police learnt that locals had seen a foreign woman tourist climbing the hills with a local man. They then identified at least five tourist guides operating in the area. The police paraded them before her, and she identified Venkatesan. He was arrested shortly after, and further investigation is under way.

The police further said climbing the hills is prohibited by the Forest Department to prevent forest fires and ensure the safety of trekkers. Devotees permitted by the district administration were allowed to climb the hills only during Maha Deepam every year.