Bangalore: Spa therapist accused of ‘inappropriate’ behaviour with Canadian woman at luxury hotel, gets arrested

In Bengaluru, police have arrested a male spa therapist working at a luxury hotel, according to the Deccan Herald. The arrest follows a complaint from a Canadian woman. The woman has accused him of inappropriate behaviour during a massage session.

The woman, aged 44, was staying at the hotel while attending a conference in Bangalore city as part of a Canadian government delegation. According to her complaint, the 32-year-old therapist allegedly touched her in an unacceptable manner inside the hotel spa.

The incident is reported to have occurred at the hotel on Palace Road in the Central Business District (CBD), which falls under the Vidhana Soudha police station limits.

Police officials have confirmed that a case was registered and the accused was taken into custody for questioning, according to the publication.

Investigators are examining statements, hotel records and possible surveillance footage. According to authorities, further legal action will depend on the evidence collected and the outcome of the inquiry.

The woman was receiving a massage at the hotel spa when the therapist allegedly acted in an inappropriate manner, according to the complaint. She alleged that he had opened the treatment room door while she was in a vulnerable condition, leaving her distressed and humiliated.

The woman reported the incident to hotel management immediately. But, her concerns were not treated seriously, she claimed.

Instead of starting formal action, the hotel reportedly refunded ₹7,000 of the ₹10,000 fee and advised her not to take the matter further. She later approached the police and filed an official complaint seeking action against the therapist and any responsible staff.

Based on her statement, police registered the case and started an investigation into the alleged misconduct and the hotel’s response.

“A foreign woman, a delegate from the Canadian government, was in Bengaluru to attend a high-level conference at PCPA. During her stay, she paid ₹10,000 for a professional massage at this hotel,” Rana wrote.

According to the user, the woman was “threatened into silence” after confronting the man.

“Shaken and in shock, she sought help. What followed from the hotel management is deeply alarming,” Rana added.

“Only ₹7,000 was refunded, not the full amount. The identity of the accused staff member was withheld. Management allegedly attempted to downplay the incident. Follow-up calls were blocked instead of addressed,” he further wrote.

Rana added, “This is not just a hotel issue. This is about women’s safety, tourist safety, and India’s international reputation. When a foreign government delegate attending a high-level conference is treated this way at a reputed international hotel, what message does this send to the world?”

The user also shared a FaceTime screen recording while he was speaking with the delegate.

“The man seen here is apologising is the one that was threatening her and asked to stay quiet about what happened,” the user wrote.

As he tagged Bengaluru Police, it replied: “Please provide the exact location of the incident happened and DM your contact number.”

The user later thanked ACP Dr Priyadarshini Ishwar Sanikopp for “swift action”. He later shared a redacted message of the FIR details.

A large part of this report is based on user-generated content from social media. LiveMint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.