Hyderabad: The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC), Managing Director, Manohar Rao has been booked for sexually assaulting a scheduled tribe woman on Thursday following an order from the high court of Telangana.
A schedule tribe (Lambada) woman who was working as a general helper at Vijayvihar Guest House, Nagarjunasagar, filed a complaint with the Station House Officer (SHO) of Narayanguda Police Station in August 2018, alleging that Rao sexually assaulted her in an attempt to rape two years ago.
Rao, formerly an Executive Director, visited Nagarjunasagar on August 30, 2016, for the inauguration of a boat unit and stayed at the guest house, where he allegedly committed the crime.
When the police did not take any action, she approached the high court and filed a writ petition, following which the police were forced to register a case against the accused, Rao, and conduct an inquiry into the allegations.
Rao was previously booked for fraud at the Naryanaguda PS in the year 2018, for submitting a fake B.Tech certificate from Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Mumbai, that he reportedly obtained by proxy and impersonation.
Rao is only a Diploma Holder from Polytechnic who rose through the ranks by submitting a Degree obtained by proxy and became an Executive Director. A complaint in regard to these allegations was submitted to the high court on December 30.
“Tourism Corporation MD is a prestigious post earlier held by senior IAS/IPS officers and appointing a Diploma holder to a cadre post and continuing him for the last three and half years is against the established convention and Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India guidelines,” Vice President Telangana Public Sector Retired Employees Federation, J Raghupathi said in a statement.
“Under the misguided leadership of Manohar Rao, the Corporation is facing severe criticism about the rampant corruption in executing the Central projects. It is high time the State Government suspends Manohar Rao and completes the pending inquiry and appoints a regular IAS/IPS officer to head the TSTDC,” he added.
Rao has been booked under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 (A) (Sexual harassment and punishment for Sexual Harassment) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 3(w)(i) (intentionally touches a woman belonging to an SC/ST, knowing that she belongs to an SC/ST, when such act of touching is of a sexual nature and is without the recipient’s consent), 3(2)(V)(a) of the Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
