Kodagu homestay owner counters U.S. woman’s allegations against him in rape case

The Karnataka High Court on Monday (June 8) summoned police records on the criminal case registered with the Kutta police in Kodagu district on the alleged rape of a 33-year-old U.S. citizen at a homestay by its housekeeper in April. This follows a petition filed by the homestay’s owner, who has questioned the registration of the case against him.

The 55-year-old owner, accused of forcing the survivor not to disclose the alleged incident of rape committed by the 45-year-old housekeeper, a native of Jharkhand, has made a counter-claim that the victim had never mentioned the alleged incident to him, his wife, or mother, who together manage the homestay.

The petitioner has also sought compensation from the police for illegally keeping him in judicial custody for 14 days, till he was released on bail, without any material against him and without serving him with the grounds for his arrest.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna, before whom the petition came up for hearing, has adjourned the further hearing on the petition while asking the Additional Public Prosecutor to secure the police records to consider the plea of interim order of stay of criminal proceedings against the petitioner.

Counter-claims

On the allegation that the petitioner had forced her to stay even after the alleged crime, told her not to inform the police, and prevented her from communicating with others over phone, it has been claimed in the petition that her complaint itself states that “she had not disclosed the incident of rape” to him when he met her near the swimming pool to share a WiFi password on April 12 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. after the alleged sexual assault, claimed to be committed inside a tent between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The petition pointed out that the victim had come to the petitioner’s house around 10 p.m. on April 12 with a request to stay at a safe place with a lock and not a tent, where she earlier opted to stay. She was then allowed to stay in a room, the petition added, noting that even at this point of time, she had not mentioned anything about the alleged rape.

Further, it has been pointed that the victim accompanied the petitioner, his wife and mother to Ponnampet town on April 13, spoke over phone to persons associated with U.S. consulates on April 14, and on April 15, by hiring a taxi with the petitioner’s help, she had gone on a day-long excursion to visit the elephant camp at Mathigodu, the Golden Temple at Bylakuppe, and for shopping. She returned to the homestay at around 6.30 p.m.

It has been stated in the petition that she had left the homestay on April 16 in a taxi and reached Mysuru, where she had stayed at a hotel on April 17. She had given her “oral” statement about the alleged incident to the police at the private residence of the Community Liaison Volunteer of the U.S. Consulate at Mysuru around noon on April 18. It has further been claimed in the petition that the survivor had declined to undergo a medical test in Mysuru when the police filed an application for the homestay owner’s remand.