Incidents of Indian students traveling abroad for higher education but tarnishing the country’s reputation by engaging in illegal activities have been on the rise recently. In a fresh incident in Leeds, UK, a 27-year-old Indian national named Pravna Bhat was caught red-handed by locals while attempting to sexually groom a 14-year-old minor girl. Videos of the accused crying, touching the feet of the locals, and begging them not to hand him over to the police have gone viral across social media platforms. The heinous act was exposed by members of a local vigilante group who identify themselves as ‘British Patriots.’
Pravna Bhat arrived in the UK three years ago on a student visa and completed his higher education at the prestigious University of Leeds. He is currently residing in the UK on a Post-Study Work (PSW) visa. Despite explicitly knowing through online chats that the girl was only 14 years old, Bhat continuously sent her obscene and sexually explicit messages, and even shared his nude videos. Evidence revealed that upon learning her age in a chat, he had mockingly responded with laughing emojis, texting, “I am definitely going to jail,” before repeatedly pressuring her to come to his room or book a hotel.
When the accused arrived at a designated spot to meet the minor girl, the local group intercepted and confronted him. Realizing his crime was exposed, Bhat broke down in tears, pleading, “This is my first time doing this. I will never do it again. Please let me go and don’t inform the police.” This follows a similar incident from January, where another Indian student named Gureet Jitesh was arrested by UK police in Coventry for minor harassment just three months after his arrival. Netizens are now demanding strict action against such individuals who damage the nation’s image abroad.
