A US national was allegedly sexually assaulted at a homestay in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, with police arresting two men, including a staff member accused of the assault and the owner for allegedly trying to suppress the incident, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place about a week ago at a homestay in Kutta village in Kodagu.
According to police, the woman alleged that her drink was spiked before she was sexually assaulted by a staff member identified as Vrujesh Kumar, a native of Jharkhand employed in the hospitality section of the property.
Police said the homestay owner was also arrested for allegedly failing to report the complaint to authorities and attempting to cover up the matter. He allegedly disconnected WiFi services for three days, preventing the woman from contacting anyone during that period.
After regaining access, the woman reportedly left the premises under the pretext of travelling to Mysuru. She then informed the United States Embassy about the incident, following which US officials emailed police authorities in Mysuru, leading to the formal registration of the case at Kutta police station.
Speaking to NDTV, Kodagu Superintendent of Police Bindu Mani RK said a case of sexual assault involving a foreign national had been registered and all due procedures were followed.
Both accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody until May 3, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.