Ritz masseur jailed for 5years for indecent assault
(CNS): A hotel masseur was jailed for five years Monday following his conviction for indecently assaulting a client during a massage at the Ritz Carlton just over one year ago. Rahul Manhukumar denies the allegation but was convicted in summary court. The case was moved to the Grand Court for sentencing because the magistrate considered the offending to be such that it warranted a higher sentence than the lower court can impose.
Manhukumar (28) was accused of touching a client’s naked genitals and pushing his fingers into her vagina during the session in a darken room when the client was wearing an eye mask. According to the evidence at trial the woman who was a regular visitor to the hotel immediately told the masseur to stop and terminated the massage. She then reported the incident to the hotel and the police. Before hand she said that Manhukumar had tried to apologize and asked that she not make a big deal over what happened.
Manhukumar, was arrested and fired. Despite denying the allegations he was later charged and was tried in summary court where he continue to deny the allegation.
In a victim impact statement the woman said she had cancelled a a return trip to Cayman as a result and the entire experience had undermined her sense of safety. Se said it was very distressing and undermined making her fell vulnerable. She said she felt violated given the assumed and implied trust of such a situation.
As the judge handed down her sentence, Monday, Manhukumar continued to deny the accusation and pleaded his innocence. He said that during his career as a massage therapist he had undertaken more than 1500 massages on different clients, including some 600 while at the Ritz over more than two years and had never experienced a single complaint.
He said he had been brought up to respect women in a loving happy extended family in India and would never, ever do such a thing. He also said that he was really happy in the job where he was making enough money to help pay his younger sister’s university fees and medical bills for older family members which he would never jeopardize. Manhukumar also stressed how significant the job was for him as it was his family legacy as his grandfather and father were in the same profession.
Despite his pleas the court pressed on with the length sentence also including a sexual harm prevention order which would only apply if Manhukumar remains in Cayman after his release. However the court heard that it was his attorney’s intention to make an application for him to leave the jurisdiction and return to India to serve the time.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Local News
Utter kangaroo court. Years of reading Cayman news of violent offenses assaults home break ins by Caymanians and fatalities due to gross negligence drunk driving those sentences get a slap on the wrist minimum jail time sometimes only months in jail yet a Jussie Smollett potential like accusation from a Ritz individual to a zero prior complaints veteran massage therapist and give him 5 years in prison. Ridiculous. These judges are almost as worse as Manhattan judges. What a joke and literally destroying this person’s life.
Innocent until proven guilty? I hope there was more “proof” then just this persons accusation.
Yet McKeeva Bush can assault a woman and remain in government ??
So, McKevva not jailed yet?
everyday we step closer to being a sue happy country like usa.
On the face of it, it seems a very weak cause for a conviction. I want to think that the evidence must have been compelling in court, as the facts outlined here do seem to be very much one person’s words against another.
bullshit! a ghost molested her ..lol
A naked massage??? Why would underwear not be kept on?
It’s up to the client. Qualified RMTs are very much aware of every placement, draping, and movement and no, they don’t go anywhere near downtown. There are no accidents of this kind. She was a regular, but not for that.
This seems very harsh and I am somewhat suspicious of these claims. Not a single complaint in 2.5 years from an experienced masseuse. Supporting family back home.
She was in a naked massage and his so his job was to massage her naked body. Very possible he could have inadvertently touched her, or she perceived he touched her, in that region.
What is his possible defense? He maintains he didn’t do it and doesn’t have a known history of this.
A wealthy visitor’s word against an Indian worker.
Five years?
I agree with you. I don’t know about her being a wealthy visitor but I can bet now that he has been found guilty The Ritz Carlton will be paying out some serious money (which may have been the plan all along).
I am not one to victim shame/blame, I myself having suffered from sexual assault, however something just does not seem right with this case.
There are child molestation cases with ‘his word against hers/his’ that never receive guilty verdicts much less a 5 year sentence. What was so different in this case where the only evidence would be her word against his???!!!!
Cayman courts MAKE no sense.
Hmm. I wasn’t there so I don’t know BUT, Ritz Carlton staff know very well the type of clientele they serve….mid-to-high net worth, therefore ENTITLED…in their own minds!
A man who knew the Ritz work ethic so well, knew his clentele, had so much at stake back home in India at stake, would give that all away for a little “feel”? I dunno? Jailed on her say-so? Hmmm?
But then again, I can’t think like a self-entitled rich person or a touchy-feely pervert.
I hope she didn’t railroad the man!
People from India work as massage therapists? Why? I thought they are only employed by the Health City and only as certified medical professionals such as doctors. Nurses and other staff don’t have to be from India, there is no reason for that.
As for your comment, you must be ashamed.
Travelled much?
I enjoy giving the Eslin technique with minimal draping but I always insist that the client be an experienced recipient of massages. I’ve never given anyone their first massage. As a female I drape another female with at least a washcloth and with a male I drape with a bar towel and I never go under the draping this is how I was taught and I think it’s best practices.
Just curious. In a case similar to this, is her word against his enough to send someone to jail? If so, this is scary.
Why would she make this up? How many customers consciously abort a Silver Rain Massage and go to the manager and police? #believeher
He needs to serve his time in Cayman then be deported.
Exactly! No guarantee that he will spend one day in jail ever there. I believe he did it. What would the lady gain by making it up. After all his salary would’nt be an enormous amount and it is being sent home anyway. I imagine that having to go through the trial was awful for the lady.
and what would he have gained doing such a thing? funny how the less fortunate is automatically guilty. rich people don’t lie or have mental issues either
How would he possibly remain in Cayman following his release? On what basis has he been here and supporting himself for the last year? Why no deportation order?
If he was from JA, I’m certain he would be found not guilty.