Groped at quarantine centre, African student told to pay for alternative place

Bengaluru: At a time when Karnataka's handling the COVID-19 situation is being lauded by the central government, disturbing news is coming out of the institutional quarantine centres set up for people who cannot afford to pay for hotels.

A 30-year-old African student who came to Bengaluru from Mumbai was put in a quarantine facility in HSR Layout. On Friday morning when she was going to the common restroom, a man Jaishankar (30), also from Mumbai, suddenly grabbed her breasts. The woman punched him in the face and he apologised. But later he barged into her room and allegedly tried to rape an Indian woman.

They raised an alarm and informed the police. The man has been arrested. The man has been arrested and is being slapped with charges of outraging the modesty of a woman and using criminal force on a woman.

But as a consequence of this event, the women are being moved to quarantine accommodation for which they are being asked to pay.

"I came to Bengaluru to be with my sister," said the woman, a law student in Mumbai.

"After my police complaint I was shifted to a hotel. But I have been told to pay Rs 1,800 per day there. I told them I won't be able to pay. Let the government or the police who brought me here pay the money. I had gone to a free quarantine centre as I did not have money. The government should have made better arrangements at least for women," she said.

The victim explained that her African friends were helping to arrange food for her. "But when they don't turn up, I pay for my food."