Take steps to prevent assault on our people: Russia to India

NEW DELHI: Seeking action, Russia on Thursday asked India to take strong steps to prevent assaults on its nationals and nab those accused of rape but said it will not issue any travel advisory immediately and would watch the steps taken by the government here.

"We do not have any proposal on issuing an advisory just now. We will see how the events unfold in Goa and how the government reacts to our protest. We expect the Indian side to take immediate steps to catch the culprits in this abhorrible crime," Russian Ambassador Alexander M Kadakin told reporters.

Expressing shock over the alleged rape of nine-year-old in Goa on January 26, he said, "The Russians had never thought that this could happen in India."

He asked the Indian government to nab the accused and punish them "severely."

He said he has already communicated his "attitude" on the issue to Home Minister P Chidambaram and asked the government to take all necessary steps to improve the crime situation in Goa.

"This is not the first case of such nature. There have three more such cases before and there has been no action. So the government must take all necessary actions to provide security," the Ambassador said.