‘Touched my bag, pulled my dress’: Indian couple says they were harassed 3 men during Serbia trip

What was meant to be the start of a relaxing vacation turned into a durbing experience for an Indian couple after they were allegedly harassed while filming a travel vlog in Serbia.The couple said that they have reported the incident to the local authorities. (Instagram/@aparnamalu.krishnan)Taking to Instagram, the couple, Aparna Malu and Ajmal Kolumbil, shared the video of the confrontation, saying that they were recording a vlog shortly after arriving in Serbia when 3 men approached them and began misbehaving with them.As seen in the video, the pair was seen walking down a flight of stairs when three men sneaked in from behind. One of the men then appeared to pull the bag Aparna was carrying. But unaware of what had happened, the couple continued walking.Then, moments later, the man allegedly touched her bag again, prompting Aparna to move it to the front. She later also claimed that one of the men pulled her dress.The couple confronted the trio, asking, “Is this how you treat women?” They also questioned them, “What’s your problem?”One of the men then gestured that the person who had allegedly pulled the bag had mental health issues. Aparna’s husband told him, “What’s wrong with him then? No brother, no, this is not fair. We come from another (country).”But once the trio realised that they were being recorded on camera, they turned around and quickly ran away from the spot while hurling expletives at the couple.(Also Read: Woman claims she was ‘harassed kids’ at Avalahalli Forest near Bengaluru: ‘It’s about upbringing’)‘Touched my bag, pulled my dress’In the caption accompanying the video, Aparna recounted the incident.”These three guys came behind us while we were vlogging. At first, they tried to take something from my bag, but I didn’t notice it immediately. A little later, I felt someone touching my bag, so I moved it to the front. That’s when one of them pulled my dress. The reaction you see in the video is exactly how I responded in that moment,” she wrote.Addressing questions about why they did not physically confront the men, Aparna said they had been in Serbia for barely 2 hours when the incident took place.”I completely understand your concern, but please remember one thing-we had been in that country for barely two hours. We had simply gone out for an evening walk when this happened. In a situation like that, fighting wasn’t the first thing on our minds,” she wrote.She added, “And here’s the reality-my husband isn’t Rocky Bhai or Vijay. Real life isn’t an action movie where one person fights three people and walks away like a hero. Our priority was safety, not proving anything to strangers.”The couple also said that they have reported the incident to the local authorities, who assured them that appropriate action would be taken. “Looking back, we’re genuinely happy with how we handled the situation. Choosing to stay safe and report the incident was the right decision for us,” she said.HT.com has reached out to the couple. The article will be ce a response is received.