In a huge embarrassment for one of India's top tourist destinations- Rajasthan-, the General Manager of a prominent 5-star hotel was arrested on Wednesday after a Mexican tourist complained of molestation and sexual harassment at the police control room in Jaipur.
The senior executive had allegedly barged into her room in the dead of the night - just a few hours after the woman had checked into the hotel on Tuesday.
On her complaint, the accused Rishi Raj Singh General Manager with ITC Rajputana was arrested by the Vidhyakpuri Police Station. He has been booked under sections 354(assault or criminal force on a woman with intention to outrage her modesty) 354 A( Physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; demand or request for sexual favors; showing pornography against the will of woman and 452 ( house -trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint ).
"There were two women from Mexico who had come to Jaipur for a tour on Tuesday morning and met Rishi Raj Singh through a reference. The two had breakfast with Singh They also visited some places with Rishi Raj and returned and checked into the hotel at 9:30 pm on Tuesday" said DCP Jaipur Vikas Pathak.
Police said a farewell party was organized for hotel employees the same evening and the Mexican women had reportedly participated in the event. Later, Rishi Raj went to their room at about 11:30 pm and was inside for about 20 minutes.
The police control room received a call at 3:30 am that the Mexican women were facing some problem at the hotel. The women were extremely scared when the police reached the hotel. They were connected to the Mexican Embassy. As one of them had a flight on Wednesday afternoon, her statement was recorded and evidence like CCTV footage was also retrieved.
The accused Rishi Raj was taken in for questioning after the complaint and arrested on Wednesday evening. He had joined the hotel in Jaipur a few months back after having served on senior postions in various other hotels. This shameful episode is a setback for the Tourism industry which is a major source of revenue generation in Rajasthan. The incident comes just a few days after a Reuters Survey declared India as the world's most unsafe country for women.