Chennai: A woman tourist from the United States, who was stranded in Thiruvannamalai due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown, foiled a beggar’s attempt to rape her after she tackled him using her martial arts training.
Reports said that the US national visited Thiruvannamalai in March 2020. When she was planning to return to her homeland after visiting the Arunachaleshwara temple and Ramana Maharshi ashram, she got stranded in Tamilnadu due to the coronavirus lockdown.
On Sunday morning, a man, who appeared to be a begger, started to sexually assault her, it is said. However, thanks to her martial arts expertise, she overpowered him and attacked him.
Hearing her cries for help, her neighbours arrived at the scene, thrashed the man and tied him to a tree, while simultaneously alerting the police. The accused was identified as Manikandan, a resident of Rasipuram area near Namakkal.