Three unidentified persons attacked a tourist from England and took away £2,000 and passport from his room at a resort in Varkala in the early hours of Tuesday.

Mr Williace Jose Edward, 45, who suffered a cut on the stomach, was admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital, the police said. He is said to be stable.

The incident comes close on the heels of two foreign women being robbed of $2,000 by a gang at Varkala on Sunday. The police are yet to nab the culprits in either case, with the incidents having affected reputation of the popular tourist spot.

According to the police, Mr Edward arrived in Varkala on Sunday with a friend and put up at Paradise Resort near the helipad.

Varkala Sub-Inspector T.S. Sivaprakash said the attack appears to be a planned robbery. One of the assailants knocked the door during the early hours and as Mr Edward opened the door, all three forced in and attacked him with locally made weapons, Mr Sivaprakash said.

Shocked numb, Mr Edward’s roommate could not put up a resistance, the police said. Having left the victim injured, the trio ransacked the room and decamped with the cash and passport.

The resort authorities and other guests rushed in after hearing their cries for help and took Mr Edward to the nearby taluk hospital.