Angry mob threaten to 'skin' Australian tourist and sexually abuse his girlfriend in India because he had a Hindu goddess tattoo

An Australian tourist has spoken of the terrifying moment an Indian mob threatened to 'skin him' and sexually abused his girlfriend because he had a tattoo of a Hindu goddess. the couple being mobbed by the group, who allegedly demand that his leg be skinned because 'this is India'.

The australian couple Matt Keith and Emily Kassianou were eating in a restaurant in Bangalore when they were surrounded by a gang of locals who objected to the tattoo on Mr Keith's shin.

A policeman arrived on scene, but he berated the couple for the tattoo, which depicted the goddess Yellamma.

The couple, from Melbourne, were taken to the Ashok Nagar police station where they were once again reprimanded in front of their attackers.

They were held for three hours until Mr Keith agreed to write a letter of apology for 'offending Hindu religious beliefs'.

He wrote: 'I should not have to apologise for what is on my skin and be put in a traumatising situation where it is apparently acceptable to be harassed, threatened and mobbed. 

'I do not deserve to be victimised and have to physically defend myself and my girlfriend every day. 

'She does not deserve sexual abuse both physical and verbal. We support equality for all, tolerance of everyone and especially for the women in this country.'