New Zealand MP apologises to Mumbai couple for honeymoon horror

On the day mid-day highlighted how Bandra newlyweds were robbed on their honeymoon but received no help from local police, New Zealand MP mentions their ordeal in parliament and apologises

Hemant and Bani Manglani

The very day that this paper highlighted the honeymoon horror that a couple Bandra endured in New Zealand, their ordeal was mentioned in the country's general parliamentary debate, where a political leader also apologised to the couple for the apathetic response they got from the NZ police.

mid-day had on Wednesday reported in its afternoon edition that Bandra newlyweds Hemant and Bani Manglani had to cut their honeymoon short after their car was broken into and all their valuables were stolen in Auckland. But when they called the local police, they were told that their case was not an emergency.

On Tuesday, Ron Mark, deputy leader of New Zealand First (NZ conservative party), brought this up during the parliamentary general debate. "We say, from New Zealand First, sorry to Bani and Hemant Manglani, who were tourists in new Zealand on the 25th of March, who had their car burgled, their passports and iPhones stolen, who tried to get police support but were told by the police that they would only come if the offender was still on the property or the premise… Mr Speaker, this is a government that is in total disarray on law and order," said Mark, while comparing the country's police force to the likes of Inspector Clouseau — the comical detective from Pink Panther.

Back home in Bandra, Hemant feels that they have their done their duty by bringing up their ordeal in front of the right people 'who can make changes in NZ'.

"We feel that it is great that the person we got in touch with was a well-connected person who was nice enough to deem the matter important, and he brought it up in front of important people who can make changes in New Zealand," said Hemant, pointing out that although he had not had any interaction with Mark, they were helped out by a member of his party.

"I feel my wife and I have done our jobs as responsible tourists. Ron Mark was nice enough to include it in his parliamentary speech."

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