A French tourist has accused a staff member of an event management company of raping her in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The accused, identified as Siddharth alias Pushparaj Ojha, allegedly took the woman to his rented flat under the pretext of a tour and sexually assaulted her after a party at a local cafe. According to the police, the woman was admitted to a hospital and later filed an FIR. The accused was arrested from Chittorgarh. He is reportedly the owner of a casting company that claims to have worked with Bollywood stars. Police said the accused has been living in Udaipur for the past eight years and runs a firm named Casting Call.
The French woman had arrived in India on April 17 and came to Udaipur from Delhi on June 22 by bus. She was working on a mobile phone advertisement shoot organised by the event management company. On the same day, shoots were held at locations including Lake Pichola and Sajjangarh Fort. In the evening, the crew gathered for a party at The Greek Farm and Restro Cafe near Tiger Hills in the Badgaon area.
Police said the accused convinced the woman to leave with him on the pretext of smoking and took her to his flat in Sukher, where the alleged assault took place. During questioning, Pushparaj admitted to the crime, police said. They added that they are reviewing CCTV footage from the restaurant and hotel as part of the investigation.
The accused has claimed that he was trapped in a honey trap and framed by some people from the film industry. He alleged that he is being falsely implicated. Police officials said that the investigation will be completed within seven days and the accused will be produced in court.
The survivor has reportedly stayed in Delhi for a long time and had previously visited Rajasthan.