Bengaluru: Investigations into the Kodagu homestay horror, where a US tourist was raped, have uncovered more chilling details. The woman was restrained from talking to anyone and was only allowed to text. In her statement, the woman reportedly told police that the homestay members instructed her not to inform the police, not to consult a doctor, and not to talk to anybody. She was forced to remain in the homestay for four days after the horrifying incident, during which she was allegedly raped by the cook-cum-housekeeper after her welcome drink was spiked.
Incident Details
The incident occurred at Devi Villa homestay near Kutta on April 12. Two individuals have been arrested so far: housekeeper Brijesh Kumar and homestay owner Vishal Ponnappa. Police stated that preliminary investigations revealed the woman was too shell-shocked to react, and there were attempts by the accused to hush up the incident.
Victim's Account
The woman from Michigan told police she had come to India to explore tourist places and had booked Devi Villa through Airbnb after receiving positive feedback from a US-based female colleague. She and her colleague had previously stayed at the Kutta homestay from March 22 to 24 before coming to Bengaluru. On April 12, she returned to the homestay as a solo traveler. Upon arriving around 1 pm by taxi, she was allotted a tent by the homestay owner Vishal's mother, as Vishal was not present at that time.
The woman stated: 'Since I was tired, I entered the tent and slept. Around 1:30 pm, the housekeeper entered, tapped on my left shoulder, and gave me guava juice. He left the tent. I was kind of sleepy and drowsy. When I woke up, the same man was above me.' She said she could not resist or move away due to drowsiness but could see and feel everything. She was subjected to assault between 1:30 pm and 3 pm.
In the evening, she walked towards the swimming pool trying to connect to WiFi when the accused tried to offer her a candy bar. 'I told him to get away from me; I did not eat it, but broke it and kept it aside. During that time, Vishal gave me the WiFi password.' The woman did not inform Vishal about what had happened, as she was unsure how he would react. Instead, she texted her friend in the US.
Around 9:50 pm, she called her friend in the US, explaining everything. Her friend suggested she bring the matter to the notice of Vishal and his family. At that time, the same man (Brijesh) entered her tent and tried to give her a vitamin C tablet. She screamed and ran into the main house, asking Vishal to give her a room where she could lock herself in.
The next day, her US friend suggested she contact the US consulate. 'The homestay owner was not allowing me to even make calls, and I was connected only through text mode. I was very afraid and helpless,' she stated. It was only on Thursday, April 16, that she could leave the place in a taxi arranged by Vishal. Upon reaching Mysuru, she got in touch with a citizen liaison volunteer (CLV) for US citizens, as her American friend had already informed the consulate.
Key Evidence Preserved
Before leaving the homestay, the woman collected some evidence, including the sheet on the bed, a headband, and tissue papers from the tent, and brought them with her to Mysuru. Police stated that these will act as strong evidence in court.
