Mexican woman molested in Jaipur hotel, man held
Jaipur, June 28: A man has been arrested on charges of molesting a Mexican tourist in a five-star hotel here, police said on Thursday.
The alleged molestation took place in Hotel ITC Rajputana Sheraton Jaipur on Tuesday night.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikas Pathak said the accused -- whose name he did not give -- had been produced in a court and was now in police custody.
According to the police, two Mexican women tourists visited Jaipur on Tuesday. They knew the accused and they stayed in the hotel with his reference.
Late at night, the accused entered their room and forced upon one of the women. But as they raised an alarm, he left the room.
The next day, on Wednesday, the victim's friend reported the incident to the police.
Police officer Manish Charan said charges of sexual harassment and attempt to outrage a woman's modesty had been slapped against the accused.
Pathak said there was adequate proof to substantiate the charges. "In the CCTV footage, he is seen going and coming out of their room. Also, there are WhatsApp messages from the accused apologizing for his act."
The victim resides in Delhi while her friend left for Mexico on Wednesday.
Rajputana Sheraton officials told IANS that they were cooperating with the police.
"We have extended our full cooperation. Safety, security and comfort of our guests is of paramount importance to us. Also, we have taken appropriate action against the accused even as investigation is on," said a hotel official.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
