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News of Jan
3, 2007
Family, Neighbors of
UK Tourist Killed Near Mumbai Shocked
London, Jan 3
Family and neighbors of Stephen Barnett, the British tourist who was
killed in a village near Mumbai after people there mistook him for a
rapist when he asked for directions in English, are shocked over the
incident and describe him as a "lovely guy" who kept to himself.
A resident of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Bennett, 40, lived alone.
He was on a holiday in India and was due to return to Cheltenham
before Christmas. He was reported to have been lynched by villagers
in early December.
Paul Young, Bennett's neighbor who looked after his two cats while
he was away, told the media: "He went to India for a week-long break
just to get away from it all and see India, which was something he
really wanted to do.
"I spoke to him while he was there. He phoned home to check on his
cats. He was a big fan of Cheltenham Town football club and used to
go to their matches every weekend."
A resident of Cheltenham said: "It's really shocked everyone. He
seemed like a lovely guy but kept himself to himself".
His father, Carol Bennett, who lives in the suburb of Leckhampton,
said: "It is too soon for us to talk about Stephen's death. We are
still very shocked. He just went away on holiday and this happened."
A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: "We have worked with the
Indian authorities to inform Stephen's family. But we are not going
any further than that. The investigation will be carried out by the
Indian police."
According to reports in the media here, Bennett was on a trek near
Roha and after getting lost, knocked on a woman's door to ask
directions. But the villager, who spoke no English, feared he was an
attacker and fled to a neighbor's home.
Not realizing she was afraid, Stephen reportedly followed her, and a
15-strong gang armed with sticks descended on him. After killing
him, the mob dragged his corpse into dense forest in Malsai, 160 km
from Mumbai, and hanged him.
The reports quote local police official Vijay Patil as saying that
Stephen was lynched because the mob understood no English and
believed he was about to attack the woman. Four people have been
arrested.
Patil reportedly said: "They thought he was harassing her or wanted
to rape her. They couldn't understand what he wanted to say. About
15 men beat him with sticks until he was dead."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said that that it
had not been told whether any of the arrested men had been charged.
"All we know is that Indian police are treating Mr Bennett's death
as murder, though we have no information as to why he was in such a
remote place and what the possible motive could be".
Most reports on the incident also recalled the murder of a British
aid worker, Michael Blakey, 23, when he was stoned to death by a mob
near Dharamsala.
Friends and colleagues of Blakey have decided to construct a centre
for the poor in India as a lasting memorial to him.
IANS
News of Jan
3, 2007
British Tourist Killed in Konkan Village
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