Arrest of Kodagu homestay owner for allegedly raping American was illegal: HC

The Karnataka High Court issued the order on July 15, partially allowing a petition filed by the 55-year-old owner who challenged the legality of his arrest. | Photo credit: File photo

The Karnataka High Court has declared illegal the arrest of a Kodagu hostel owner in the alleged rape of a 33-year-old US citizen by his housekeeper in April 2026. The court ordered the state government to pay him ₹500,000 as compensation.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna issued the order on July 15, partially allowing a petition filed by the 55-year-old owner who challenged the legality of his arrest by the Kutta police in Kodagu district.

The police remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days before he was released on bail, the petitioner claimed. He claimed that there was no material before the police to arrest him and that the police had not disclosed the reason for his arrest.

Claiming that he forced the survivor not to disclose an alleged rape incident committed by a 45-year-old housekeeper in the family, the petitioner-owner filed a counterclaim. He claimed that the woman did not mention the alleged rape to him, his wife or his mother, who jointly manage the homestay. The petitioner sought quashing of the FIR registered against him.

However, the court refused to quash the FIR and said an investigation was necessary in the case, giving him liberty to approach the court again based on the outcome of the investigation.

Published – 15 Jul 2026 15:37 IST