Hyderabad: Actor Ashwath Bhatt, known for his roles in films such as Mission Majnu, Sita Ramam, Raazi, Phantom, Kesari, and Haider, experienced a deeply alarming incident while vacationing in Istanbul, Turkey. On Sunday evening, as he was making his way to the well-known Galata Tower in the Beyoglu district, he fell victim to an attack by an assailant.
In an interaction with a newswire, Ashwath shared that he had been warned by his friends regarding the prevalence of pickpocketing in Istanbul, but he never expected that he would encounter such a brutal situation. Reflecting on the incident, he recounted, "As I was walking towards Galata Tower, a man approached me. He had a chain in his hand, and before I could fully understand what was happening, he hit me on the back with it. In retrospect, it was likely a gang working in tandem, trying to grab my bag."
The actor said that he fought back, catching the assailant by surprise. He felt a moment of shock, wondering what was happening, but it seemed the attackers did not anticipate his resistance. While the man attempted to snatch his bag, a cab driver witnessed the scene and stepped in to help. The robber muttered something in Turkish before fleeing. The cab driver, noticing Ashwath's injury, advised him to report the incident to the police.
Ashwath expressed his disappointment that such an event occurred, particularly in a busy tourist area. He stated, "People watch films and think Turkey is all romantic, but if we don't report crime, these incidents will only increase." While he received warnings about pickpockets, this experience was worse than anything he had foreseen. He has travelled to the Middle East, Egypt, and various parts of Europe without encountering anything like this before.
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