Rape of US woman in Rishikesh took place in hotel room, not yoga centre: Police

The alleged rape of a 33-year-old woman from the US, which took place last month, was committed inside a hotel room here, and not at a yoga centre as reported earlier on the basis of the complaint lodged by the survivor, police said on Thursday.

Investigations have revealed that the crime was not committed at the Rishikeshnath Yogshala but inside a hotel room in Tapovan area, Additional Superintendent of Police Uttam Singh Negi said.

A close examination of CCTV footage from the area confirms that the crime was committed in a hotel room near the Yogshala, he said.

The woman has alleged that a member of the staff at the Yogshala, named Gitansh, raped her after forcing her to drink alcohol.

Investigations have also revealed that the culprit, who is now in jail, worked as an instructor at the Yogshala until a few months ago but was not associated with it at the time of the crime, the official said.