TEAM HERALD
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CALANGUTE: A 55-year-old executive assistant F&B manager at a starred resort in Sinquerim has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old employee of the hotel.
Sources say the victim was allegedly sexually assaulted at an unknown place on Thursday midnight, after being intoxicated by the manager.
The incident is reported to have take place after the victim and another companion were offered a drop by the manager, Vikas Sharma, who took them to a supermarket in Candolim and them offered them some drinks.
As the victim declined to have an alcoholic drink, the manager offered her another drink. The first drink had no effect on the victim, but the second drink made her drowsy and she alerted her friend.
The manager told the other companion not to worry and assured that he would drop the girl to her destination. He, however, took the girl to an unknown place and allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.
The girl, however, regained her consciousness and she was later dropped to her room.
The girl then reported the matter in writing to the human resource section of the hotel and the general manager allegedly failed to take action in the matter. The girl then took the matter to the sexual harassment committee of the hotel, which merely recorded her statements.
The employees union then took up the matter and petitioned Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to punish the guilty manager.
The girl then sought the help of a non-governmental organisation and later filed a complaint with the Calangute police.
Calangute police summoned the Sharma for an enquiry into the incident. Police later arrested Sharma under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
