Daijiworld Media Network - Kaup (SP)

Kaup, Dec 25: A hotelier, identified as Laxminarayana Bhat (65) was arrested under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and produced in court. Bhat, who runs a hotel near the Admar railway gate in Yermal Bada village near Padubidri has been accused of leading the girl in question into the kitchen of his hotel and sexually harassing her a number of times.

The girl in question who attends school, used to attend tuition classes after school hours. Once in a while, she used to visit Bhat's hotel for food. The hotelier reportedly used to wait till the customers present inside the hotel if any, went away and then lead the girl into the kitchen and exploit her sexually. It is said that this continued for the last six months.

The family members questioned the girl on December 13, on observing that she was very late in returning home. During their sustained questioning, they realized the shameful act of the hotelier. The family members informed the girl's father living in Mumbai. He arrived here from Mumbai on December 21 and thereafter checked the facts. An official complaint was filed at Padubidri police station on Tuesday December 24.