Bengaluru, March 11: The Karnataka government issued a circular on Tuesday outlining guidelines for owners of homestays and resorts operating in tourist destinations across the state to ensure the safety of tourists.
This comes in the wake of the horrific gangrape of an Israeli female tourist and an Indian homestay owner near the Tungabhadra Left Canal in Gangavathi town, Koppal district, close to the UNESCO heritage site Hampi.
The circular, issued by the Karnataka government, states that homestays must take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all tourists, including foreign nationals. Whenever tourists are taken to remote or isolated locations, the jurisdictional police must be informed, and prior permission must be obtained.
If tourists are taken to such locations without police permission, the homestay owners will be held responsible for any attacks by anti-social elements or wild animals. They will also face legal consequences as per the law. S. R. Umashankar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department has issued the circular to the State Police Chief, all Deputy Commissioners, all Superintendents of Police, ADGP (Law and Order), and the Director of State Intelligence. Officials have been directed to ensure that the circular reaches every resort and homestay in each district and to obtain an undertaking from the owners confirming compliance.
They have also been instructed to review the itineraries of homestays and resorts to ensure that planned visits do not involve risky locations. Furthermore, officers have been given one week to implement these measures and submit a report by March 18.
The circular also states: “Authorities have reported that on March 6, two foreign nationals and two Indian tourists staying at a homestay in Anegundi, Gangavathi taluk, were taken for stargazing after dinner by the homestay owner. While there, three anti-social elements confronted the male tourists, assaulted them, and pushed them into the Tungabhadra Left Canal. They then raped the Indian homestay owner and the Israeli female tourist. Among those pushed into the canal, a tourist from Odisha tragically lost his life.”
The circular describes this incident as deeply saddening and unfortunate. To prevent such tragedies in the future, these guidelines have been issued, it states. The police have arrested all three accused in the case.
IANS
