Ashwath Bhatt, who is currently in Istanbul on a short vacation, faced a harrowing experience when he was attacked by a robber. On Sunday evening, while walking towards the popular tourist location, Galata Tower, in the Beyoglu district, he was assaulted by a gang.

Ashwath says that despite warnings from friends about the risks of pickpockets in Istanbul, he did not foresee such a violent encounter.

Ashwath recalled, "I was walking towards Galata Tower when a man approached me. He had a chain in his hand, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, he hit me on the back with it. In retrospect, it was likely a gang working in tandem, trying to snatch my bag."

However, Ashwath resisted, catching the attacker off-guard. "For a second, I was so shocked - what’s happening? But I think they weren’t expecting me to resist and put up a fight. While he was trying to snatch my bag, a cab driver stopped and intervened. The robber said something in Turkish and then fled. The cab driver saw my wound and immediately told me to go to the police."

Ashwath says, "It’s unfortunate that such a thing happened, especially in such a touristy area. People often advise not to get involved and not to report to the police. That word 'unnecessary' troubles me. People watch films and think Turkey is all romantic, but if we don’t report crime, these incidents will only increase. Everybody warned me about pickpockets, but this was beyond anything I had imagined. I’ve been to the Middle East, Egypt, and so many parts of Europe, and nothing like this has ever happened to me."

When Ashwath approached a patrol car, the officers asked him to report the incident to the tourist police, who then directed him to another police station. A complaint was yet to be registered till the time of going to press.