THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An Israeli tourist who was attacked on Saturday by a local man in Varkala has been shifted to a mental health facility at Peroorkada after doctors confirmed he was mentally unwell. The man, identified as Zayats Sagi, 46, had been wandering the streets of Varkala for several months without valid travel documents.
“We don’t know when or how he arrived in Varkala. He was not staying at any hotel and had no passport or identity card. He had been living on the streets and carried only two pairs of clothes. He had several pieces of cloth tied around his body as if to cover injuries,” said a police officer.
The tourist had allegedly snatched the mobile phone of Nandakumar, 46, a native of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, who works with a private water sports agency in Varkala, and threw it into the sea.
“The tourist snatched Nandakumar’s phone and ran towards the sea. On being chased, he threw the phone into the water. Nandakumar slapped him in anger, and locals who witnessed the incident alerted the police,” said Rural police chief K S Sudarsan.
After being taken into custody, a medical team examined Zayats and confirmed he required psychiatric care. He was initially shifted to a mental health centre at Varkala and later shifted him to the Government Mental Health Centre at Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram. The police said efforts are being made to contact the Israeli embassy to arrange for his repatriation.