Hyderabad: The managing director of Telangana Tourism was booked by Narayanguda police for sexually assaulting a worker. The incident occurred in August, 2016 when the woman was employed by the Tourism department.
A case has now been registered against him after the High Court ordered the city police to register an FIR and investigate into the matter.
As per the FIR, a copy of which is in possession of Deccan Chronicle, the accused B. Manohar Rao sexually assaulted a woman while he was staying in a suite during the inauguration of boat units at Nagarjuna Sagar in 2016.
The woman, belonging to the ST community, was working as a general helper at Vijay Vihar Guest House, Nagarjuna Sagar when the incident occurred. On August 31, 2016, at around 10 am, Rao had called her to his room to clean the bathrooms and when she came out, she saw him standing with a towel. He pushed her on the bed. When she resisted, he threatened to remove her from her job. She somehow managed to escape and informed her colleague, who pointed out that he was a very influential person. In July 2017, when she came to Hyderabad along with her colleagues, she came in contact with an advocate who advised her to lodge a complaint with her management head, Dr. Christina Z Chongtu. When she approached her in September, the matter was not referred to police and a departmental enquiry that was ostensibly launched never progressed. In December of the same year, the victim was told that her contract period had expired,” read the FIR.
She then lodged a petition with Narayanguda police in July 2018, and later filed a writ petition in October 2021 before the High Court of Telangana, following which the court disposed of the petition giving her liberty to file a fresh petition and ordered the police to inquire.
A case has been booked under Sections 354 and 354-(A) of the IPC and Sections 3(w)(i), 3(2)(V)(a) of the SC/ST Act. Inspector of Narayanguda PS, B. Gattumallu said that the case was booked as per High Court orders and an investigation will be taken up.
