New Zealand tourist made to speak swear-words in Marathi, cops step in after video goes viral (WATCH)

A case was registered against four unidentified youngsters after a video of them duping a New Zealand tourist into uttering Marathi abuses went viral on social media, igniting widespread condemnation.

According to a report by news agency PTI, the incident unfolded at the iconic Sinhagad Fort near Pune, where the group, believed to hail from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, allegedly approached the tourist and struck up a conversation. An official from the Haveli police station confirmed the development on Saturday.

The now-viral video shows the tourist cheerfully repeating phrases suggested by the group of youngsters, phrases which turned out to be vulgar slang and offensive swear words in Marathi. They teach him some Marathi slurs and encourage him to say them to another person. The tourist, not aware of what it meant, unknowingly went and repeated those words. The men laughed and proceeded to team him another slur.

The incident has triggered a storm of criticism online, with netizens condemning the act as distasteful and deeply disrespectful.

Reacting swiftly to the public outrage, the Haveli police took cognizance of the matter and registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).