Kodagu homestay licence cancelled after ‘sexual assault’ of US tourist

Karnataka), Apr 23 (PTI) The Kodagu district administration has cancelled the licence of a homestay here following the alleged sexual assault of a foreign tourist, officials said on Thursday.
    Deputy Commissioner Somashekar ordered the cancellation of the licence issued to Devi Villa homestay, stating that the administration took the incident at Kutta village "very seriously" and acted in accordance with established norms, sources in the district administration said.
    Despite the licence being valid until 2029, permission to operate the homestay has been withdrawn in the wake of the case, they added.
    The property belongs to P A Ponnappa of Kutta village in Sinkona Estate.
    According to officials, both the homestay owner and a staff member have been arrested in connection with the case.
    On Wednesday, police said a US national was allegedly sexually assaulted by a staff member at a homestay in Kutta village about a week ago.
    The accused, a native of Jharkhand working in the hospitality section, was arrested along with the owner, who allegedly failed to inform authorities after the complaint.
    Police said there were also attempts to suppress the incident, including the alleged disconnection of Wi-Fi services at the premises.
    The woman later contacted US embassy officials, following which a case was registered, and the accused were remanded to judicial custody.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)