Kodagu ‘rape’: Karnataka’s challenge, 10,000 homestays, less than half registered

A senior official with the tourism department told The Indian Express that while Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) already exist, enforcement remains fragmented, with no centralised system to track compliance across the state’s growing number of homestays.

“The focus now is on how to more effectively monitor the implementation of rules and guidelines,” the official said. “We will convene a meeting with all concerned authorities, including the police, to review the situation and assess how existing guidelines can be more effectively implemented and monitored on the ground.”

Officials pointed out that in the Kodagu case, the cook — allegedly the main accused — had been hired from outside, raising concerns over whether mandatory police verification procedures were followed. The department is now considering making it compulsory for homestay owners to ensure all staff hired from outside undergo police verification, with their details shared with local police. There is also a proposal to mandate displaying the Karnataka State Police (KSP) app QR code at registered homestays to improve traceability and reporting by guests and authorities.

The current review comes nearly a year after a violent incident near Hampi in March 2025 prompted the state to tighten homestay regulations, particularly in remote tourist areas.

In that case, three men attacked a group of tourists on a late-night outing near Sanapur Lake. Two women, including a foreign tourist, were gang-raped, and a male tourist from Odisha died after being pushed into a canal. The incident drew widespread outrage and exposed gaps in tourist safety, especially in isolated locations.

Following this, the government introduced stricter guidelines. Homestay owners were asked to inform local police before taking guests to secluded areas, particularly at night. It became mandatory to maintain detailed guest records — ID proof for domestic tourists and passport details for foreign nationals — and to share this information with the police. CCTV cameras were required in common areas, and owners were made responsible for guest safety, including during off-site activities. Existing rules on registration, occupancy limits, and owner presence on the premises were also reinforced.

Gaps in enforcement

According to government data, Karnataka’s challenge has over 10,000 homestays, less than half of which are registered. The Kodagu Homestay Association estimates that the district alone has nearly 4,000 homestays, of which only 2,478 are officially registered.

The Kodagu homestay was among the ones that were registered, with authorities cancelling its licence after the incident.

Guidelines issued after the alleged Hampi gangrape case require law enforcement authorities to conduct mandatory vetting of the staff at these homestays. Police sources explain the process: background checks for such hires are carried out through a Police Verification Certificate (PVC) process at the police station level and handled at the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or Superintendent of Police (SP) level. In these cases, the employee’s details are verified through official records before formal clearance.

The challenge, however, lies in implementation, with officials admitting that enforcement of staff verification has been patchy given the practical hurdles. According to officials, while police verification and related processes can cost around Rs 500-1,500 per employee, depending on the verification type, in practice, the overall cost can be higher due to documentation and coordination requirements. In addition, many workers — especially migrants — stay for short periods, often leaving within two to three months, making it difficult for homestay owners to complete verification for every hire, particularly when recruitment is done quickly to meet demand.

While these challenges do not dilute the legal requirement, they create a gap between policy and practice: in several instances, verification is either delayed or not completed, exposing gaps in compliance.

There is also growing concern that stricter enforcement tends to follow major incidents, especially those involving foreign tourists, rather than being ensured through routine monitoring. Nearly a year after the Hampi case led to tighter rules, the Kodagu incident has once again brought the focus back on implementation.

A senior official from the Karnataka tourism department said: “We have sought a detailed report from the Kodagu district administration to examine whether there were any lapses, particularly in employee verification and adherence to safety protocols at the homestay. Based on the findings, we will take a call on further measures to strengthen enforcement.

But members of the Kodagu Homestay Association allege that factors such as inconsistent verification fee structures across jurisdictions, long procedure and demands for “informal payments/ bribes” during the approval stage discourage compliance.

“This makes the process cumbersome,” one member said. “The association has approached the Deputy Commissioner, urging the district administration to standardise NOC charges across all panchayats and municipal bodies in Kodagu. A uniform system would simplify the process and help bring more homestays into the formal regulatory framework.”