BENGALURU, India (Kashmir English): A woman tourist from the United States was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted at a homestay in India’s Karnataka state, according to the police.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place in Kutta village in Kodagu district, where the woman had checked into the homestay for a three-day stay.
In her complaint, the victim stated that the accused, identified as Varjesh Kumar, spiked her drink with a narcotic substance, rendering her unconscious, after which she was sexually assaulted. The accused was an employee at the homestay originally from Jharkhand.
The woman further stated in her complaint that she was unlawfully confined for three days and prevented from contacting anyone during that period.
She also said that the homestay owner, Vishal, was aware of the incident but attempted to cover it up. The American tourist added that she was denied communication and that the facility’s Wi-Fi services were also disabled during her confinement.
She eventually managed to leave the premises and reached Mysuru, where she contacted US Embassy via email.
The embassy then alerted police authorities, leading to the registration of a case at Kutta police station and the formation of a special investigation team to probe into the incident.
R.N. Bindu Mani, Kodagu Superintendent of Police, confirmed that a case of sexual assault on a foreign national has been registered and that both accused have been arrested. A local court remanded them to judicial custody until May 3.
Cases of sexual violence rampant in India
Cases of sexual violence are rampant in India. Police data suggests that around 90 rape cases are reported daily across the country, with one such case recorded approximately every 18 minutes.
However, the actual figures are believed to be much higher as victims usually don’t report such cases due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence in the country.
In recent years, several high-profile cases in India drew worldwide attention. Those include the gang rape of an Israeli tourist and an Indian homestay operator near Hampi in Karnataka in March 2025, a Spanish-Brazilian tourist gang-raped in Jharkhand’s Dumka district in 2024, a Swiss tourist in Madhya Pradesh in 2013, and an Irish woman in Goa in 2018.
