Hotel ex-employee held guilty of UK woman's rape

Chandigarh, July 22

A local court today held a 31-year-old former employee of Lalit Hotel, IT Park, guilty of raping a 56-year-old British woman in 2018.

Swati Sehgal, Special Judge, Fast-Track Court, will pronounce the quantum of the sentence on July 25.

On a complaint of the victim, the police had arrested the accused, Farhanuzza Zama of Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, on December 31, 2018. The accused was working as a hairstylist-cum-therapist at the hotel.

The complainant had alleged that on December 20, 2018, she was sitting in front of the swimming pool at the hotel with her boyfriend when the accused came and offered them a head and foot massage. She stated that the convict touched her inappropriately above the knee while massaging. As she objected to it, the employee told her that he was checking pressure points. She alleged that later, he sexually assaulted her.

She had stated that she submitted a complaint to the hotel staff following which the services of the accused were terminated. She said the hotel management promised her of taking appropriate action against the accused.

The woman then went to Shimla and returned to the hotel on December 27, 2018. As she found no police complaint was filed against the accused, she reported the matter at the IT Park police station. A case under Section 376 of the IPC was then registered against the accused.

The counsel of the accused claimed that Zama was falsely implicated in the case. The public prosecutor examined 12 witnesses, including the hotel staff, to prove his case. The complainant joined the trial by videoconferencing from UK. After hearing of the arguments, the court held Zama guilty of the offence punishable under Section 376 of the IPC.