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Viral Video Shows Young Man Pressing Australian Tourist for a Kiss in Kolkata

The footage has prompted debate over consent, reputational harm to destinations, verification limits of user-generated content

Overview

  • The clip, posted on Instagram by travel creator Marco Roams on June 17–18, 2026, shows a young man in a rickshaw repeatedly asking the tourist to kiss him and holding the tourist’s hand after a refusal.
  • In the video the tourist says, “Kiss you? No sorry, I’m straight,” and later reacts on camera by saying, “Wow! getting bloody molested by people younger than me.”
  • The post included on-screen text and a caption that generalised the behaviour, which many viewers said risked stereotyping Indian men and harming perceptions of Kolkata as a destination.
  • Thousands of social-media users reacted with mixed responses: many condemned the conduct, some apologised on behalf of locals, others warned against generalisation, and several tagged Kolkata Police urging action.
  • News outlets reporting the clip noted they relied on user-generated content, have not independently verified identities or the full context, and no confirmed police response or legal action has been reported so far.