Karnataka HC rules Kodagu stay owner's arrest in rape case illegal, orders Rs 5 lakh relief

Karnataka HC awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation to Kodagu homestay owner Palecanda Ponnappa alias Vishal of Devi Villa Homestay.

The court ruled his arrest in a rape case filed by an American guest was illegal and an affront to personal liberty.

Justice Nagaprasanna held that police violated Supreme Court arrest guidelines and statutory safeguards.

The alleged rape was committed by a housekeeper from Jharkhand, not the homestay owner, who was not present at the scene.

The court noted that arrest cannot be automatic just because a complaint is routed through the US Embassy.