An Indian national working in a local resort was attacked with a hammer and mugged while in Male’ city, allegedly by a former employee of the same resort.
The victim, identified by India’s Express News Service as 24 year-old Ramakrishnan Sadanandan from Thiruvananthapuram, was reportedly attacked at 2:30pm on March 31 while staying in a local guest house.
According to the victim, he was attacked and robbed of US$200.
“They forcibly entered my room holding an identity card, pushed me to the bed and started beating me with a hammer,” Sadanandan told the Express News Service.
“They took my mobile phone, cash worth US$200, camera and gold chain, and ran away. I informed the hotel authorities about the incident and they called the police,” he said.
Sadanandan, who works as a front office supervisor at Medhufushi Island Resort and Spa, said that the police had “only registered the complaint”. He has also filed the complaint at the Indian High Commission in the Maldives.
Speaking to Minivan News, Sadanandan said that he had been continuously threatened in the last two days and warned that he would not be allowed to leave the country safely.
However Sadanandan said that he is planning to leave the country as soon as possible and if required he would seek the assistance of the Maldives Police Service.
A person familiar with the matter told Minivan News under condition of anonymity that Sadanandan and the person who had attacked him both had worked on the resort. Sadanandan was the senior officer to the person who had attacked him.
According to the source, Sadanandan was warned prior to the attack, and “was lucky that he was at a hotel or else the he would have ended up in huge trouble”. The source also said that Sadanandan had audio recordings of the attacker in which he had been threatened.
A police media official confirmed to Minivan News that the case had been lodged with police and that efforts were underway to arrest the people involved in the crime.
Speaking to Minivan News, First Secretary of the Indian High Commission in the Maldives, S.C Agarwal, said “I think the Maldivian society needs to be a little bit more sensitive to the foreigners.”
“Foreigners come here because they are invited to come here by the Maldivian community. They are issued with visas and work permits. If they are being mistreated, in the long term it will bring long term consequences to the country,” he said.
Agarwal added that foreigners deserved to have their rights and liberties respected once they entered the country with valid documents.
Regarding the case of Sadanandan, Agarwal confirmed that the High Commission had received the complaint on day the event took place.
Agarwal also said that a similar incident occurred about 10 to 15 days ago, in which an Indian woman was mugged on the street and had her mobile phone stolen. However, he said that the police had arrested the perpetrators on the same day and the mobile phone was retrieved. However she had declined to proceed with the case because she did not think she would succeed as a foreigner.
Despite the reluctance of foreigners to report such crimes, the Indian High Commission had received more than 400 complaints in the last five months. Most related to labour issues, but some included mugging and robberies affecting the Indian community.
“In my last five months in working in the High Commission, I have received about 400 complaints from the Indian community here. And that is not good,” Agarwal said.
The Indian High Commission had advised Indian nationals not to carry large sums of money in their pockets, and to take precautionary measures at all times, he added.
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this is a disgraceful act by monkeys in Male' - they should spend time getting their hair permed rather than mugging people
Local friend was robbed yet police have been incompetent. The police keep calling up referring to wrong case & once even received call harassing victim.
Noticing people using hardcore drugs all of sudden. Anyone can confirm the sudden availability of such substances?
All related NGOs pls comment.
brown sukar,
personally know high commanding cops seen in footage from 7th feb who use narcotics. they brag about their access & daily use.
wait until the tourists start being mugged/robbed,,that WILL be the end of the tourism trade,believe me..Those people do not care from whom or where,they get their money..
Very Simple inform your friends in India and other places to treat Maldivians in same manner or even worse then these jokers will understand the value of respecting foreigners
There are 300,000 Maldivians and 150,000 expats here. Compared to the % of Maldivians murdered, robbed, and beaten every year, the attacks on the expats are far below. So this is not about being a Maldivian or foreigner... This is the sad state of our society. . .
This is the consequences that is inevitable, Maldivian have been humiliated,and treated as second class citizens in these resorts. The mafia of expat workers block and take up the jobs from maldivians. And they inject corruption, hard drugs, and dirty politics into our peaceful Maldivian societies. And when abroad in India, the first glimse of this you would get when you arrive in India, thrivendrum. The rude emigration officer,
Some one should write an Article how Maldivian's get treated in India.
I am soooooooooo angry to read this report. Maldivians have no respect for anybody.
I would advise all Indians to leave the Maldives.....especially doctors and teachers. The Indian Embassy in Male should also hang up a sign in the visa section saying 'INDIAN VISAS ARE NOT GIVEN TO MALDIVIAN PASSPORT HOLDERS'.....in Dhivehi.
Maldivian society seems to be increasingly violent and disfunctional these days.....this is what happens when there is too much islam and 'brown sugar' is easily available.
I shudder to think what Maldives will be like in another ten years.....another failed islamist state like Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan?
Shudder, Shudder, Shudder.
Just wandering. The resurgence of gang fights and availability of drugs and other substances to the youth, and also the groups again gathering in coffee shops and abusing innocent law abiding people with impunity, Hopw come when the Judiciary is co-operating 100% with the Police and the new Administration? Back to our Mafia leaders powerful days thah? People like Yaamin, Jangiya Naazim and Redwave Saleem and Gaasim should remember there will be a judgement day and they will be condemned to hell fires sooner than later if they have anything to do with this type of influence in the society. Already 3 generations lost to drugs and dont destroy this society for a few dollars more please.
First Secretary of the Indian High Commission in the Maldives, S.C Agarwal, said “I think the Maldivian society needs to be a little bit more sensitive to the foreigners.”
I thought Mr Sadanadan case was with another expatriate worker.I find mr Agrawals comment condescending as if Indians expatriates here need more and 'special' protection than the locals. Indian High Commission must do a reality check and know that crime is rampant in Male and it doesn't distinguish between locals or expatriates. We had one murder and a knifing yesterday and 24 hr political riots. Please don't have enough resources to attend to thefts and petty crimes.
To Indira NewDelhi
Isn't it ironic that I agree with you 100%. I think all Indians here should leave.we have no problem with it.also I don't think Maldivians should spend their medical dollars in India. Instead they should go to Thailand for better quality medical care.
@ Red Box
Spend your medical dollars in Thailand?.....excuse me while I wet myself laughing!!
What medical dollars do Maldivians have? Your best medical facility IGMH in Male is a GIFT FROM INDIA and India will soon be spending $8m of my infidel taxes on refurbishing it.
If Maldivians stop coming to India for medical treatment and studies it will not make THE SLIGHTEST difference to our economy.....we don't want you losers.
Before you get on your high horse again.....let me remind you that Maldives has the population and economy of a small suburb of Delhi.....OK?
Thailand had better get its drug dependency clinics ready for the big influx from Maldives!!
This is the outcome of hate speeches from Qaumee Party especially Jameel the currecnt Home minister in the past one year. Even in the book they published they referred to Maldivians becoming slaves to indians.All they want is power irrespective of how they get it. Now him being home minister let him handle this.
If Indian embassy was not here we will at least have the elected government.. so go away dears...but you won't get the money in India ... that;s why all of them come flocking to Maldives..
@ Wolf I agree with you. Indian Immigration officers in Trivendrum are very rude people I also experinced that. Tell me the name of any Country that is 100% safe? Tell me the name of any Country , where people behave as angles, and Saints ? Many Maldivians who goes to Trivendrum and India were beaten and Their money stolen. Nobody take it as a big issue. The truth is everywhere there are good and bad people. I met good Indians_ evil and rude Indians too. I love good Indians and Wish them good. to happen.
Minivan is always trying to twist the story to create havoc in the country because Anni failed as a ruler of the country.
Anni is the cause of all this social problem and if Anni goes away then this country can live peacefully.
Anni thugs are the people who are doing all this thing with the hope that he can come back to power. Power hunger and money hunger Anni need to be jailed on the ground of corruption.
I would advice my countrymen to refrain from visiting this savage country.
It's a fact that Maldivians have bloated Egos..when in fact they should have any egos at all. They are at the mercy of other Countries. Once a Maldivian asked me whether my Country is bigger than Maldives...that's the amount of arrogance (You can call it Ignorance). And also many of the younger generation people are very ungrateful.
Redbox: Nobody asked you to come to India...Come on India is not depending on Maldives. Please do some reality check. From Time Immemorial, it is your leaders who go with a begging bowl to India and other countries.....If any problem is there, your leaders make a Phone call to Indian Primeminister
@Indira, New Delhi
I have seen foreign student was beaten up just because he was foreigner in broad daylight in India. Sad fact is when we asked for help us, none of them dared help.
I accept the fact, this happened in here and even it may happen to me in here or another country. I strongly against these activities and who ever committed this crime must be brought justice. This is not series attacks towards Indian national here. Its motive was robbery.
Anyways your attitude is Not helping in this matter
@ Indira: I want to put your statement in right perspective: "Before you get on your high horse again…..let me remind you that Maldives has the population and economy of a small suburb of Delhi…..OK?"
One Police Station in my City covers 1 Million Population.
So MVs...get real and get down your high horses. Instead of barking @ us Indians, start barking @ ur Womanizing and alcoholic people who have swindled your nation.
@MS so if Delhi has a population of 15 million it has only 15 police stations?
@Indhira "the wet lady" FYI as I understand Indian assistance to the previous govt is in the form of long term payable loan assistance which will be paid from Maldivian pockets. Sorry we are not like Nepal or Bhutan constantly bieng dictated by India.We have OPTIONS.We can have a US or CHINESE base here.We always opt to go with India because we respect the historical bonds not because we are scared of India.
Regarding the violence the reality is most of the violence on foreigners is directed to poor Bangladeshis-our islamic brethren as youIndhira might put it. fact is when you get mugged they don't look at your passport. fact is we have a rampant drug use problem and 95% of robberies and muggings are drug related. You should ask your high horse commission here to do a more professional and sensible job than making statements.
You should ask where Maldives get its drugs from. India and Pakistan. Ask your government to put more inspectors at Trivandrum airport.
As for the economics people from kerala -(many of them from poor christian families persecuted by Brahmins like you)many of them nurses work here becoz they are paid better.
Also get your facts correct. Despite our economic problems we have a per capita GDP of 4800 dollars 98% literacy 72 years life expectancy 12/1000 infant mortality...so much for your nuclear capability. Yes we have problems but we don't need to rely on India. India is irrelevant to Maldives.
It is sad that this man had to go back and ask for justice in his country.
Where have the morals gone? Where has the humanity gone?
The police is an organization feared and reviled with equal measure. Instead of calling for our leaders to correct our problems we are blaming the victim, shooting the messenger, justifying our ineptitude, anything but solving the issue.
Xenophobia is spread openly and unashamedly by our politicians. And yet they wonder what went wrong.
Maldivian's are not even aware of some xenophobic tendencies.
If India was a true friend they would not only have called for sanctions by commonwealth and within SAARC, all bi lateral trade and loan agreements would be on hold until we get our house in order.
Everything is connected, religious fundamentalism, false sense of superiority, xenophobia, rascism is encouraged for political gain.
Just the "monuments" and "idols" fiasco should have brought the Indians knocking on our doors saying, "What the hell???"
A reality check would be a good help.
If the drugs that are easily available in Maldives come from India, how come Indian cities don't have a problem with drugs? Street crimes like muggings and robberies are probably a fraction of what they are in Maldives.....Male must be scary.....like a South African township at night!!
The truth of the matter is that muslims are strangely drawn to hard drugs. I've never been able to understand why muslim countries have been so effective in controlling the use of alcohol but are useless at keeping hard drugs out.
The world headquarters for heroin production is Afghanistan from where it gets to Pakistan and from where it gets to Maldives via your 'students'.....students of what you may well ask!! Please don't blame India for your own inadequacies.
The pious nations of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan all have serious problems with intravenous drug use and Maldives is the latest member of this very exclusive club.....you are all muslim countries so no surprises there. Maybe its time your mad mullahs declared drugs to be 'haraam'....but the mullahs are probably high on the stuff too.
I'm so glad to hear the immigration officers at Trivandrum airport are doing their duty in keeping Maldivian crackheads and junkies out of the country.....please check their arms for needle marks sir!!.....then bend them over and search their body cavities for 'brown sugar'.
Please consider going to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.....their drug rehabilitation clinics are very good I hear.
Whether its Annis thugs or Yaameens gundas or Parteys or even Gangs. You better stop this uncivilized barbaric act. Dont blame indians, pakistanese,Arabs, Singaporeans or other coutries. This is no Sudhoom city, This is MAle' our Male' our capital. STOP IT NOW.
India is irrelevant to Maldives.
Very questionable and very alarming.
With the arrival of a questionable regime, everything seems questionable and drag on without answers.
This rings a bell!
The indian embassy was part of the plot to overthrow the democratically elected goverment they played a very big role in it Please leave us alone we dont need you anymore please take back all you workers doctors teachers and go back to your home leave us