Restaurant Owner Admits to Touching Teenage Waitress Despite Denials of Sexual Assault

In a dramatic turn of events during the Ballarat County Court trial, Gunaseelan Manoharan, the owner of Horsham's Rooh Indian fusion restaurant, has admitted to touching a 17-year-old waitress under the guise of giving her a massage. Manoharan, who faces six counts of sexual assault, allegedly began touching the teenager's shoulders, then moved down to her bottom, legs, and under her shirt, where he touched her bare skin and bra. The incident occurred when there were no customers in the hotel, and the teenager had initially declined a massage.

Key Takeaways:

• Manoharan, the owner of Rooh, admitted to touching a teenage waitress under the guise of giving her a massage, despite denying sexual assault allegations.
• The teenager had initially declined a massage but was touched by Manoharan on her shoulders, bottom, and legs, and under her shirt.
• The incident occurred when there were no customers in the hotel, and Manoharan used the pretext of "cleaning her uniform" to justify his actions.
• Manoharan has been charged with one count of false imprisonment and six counts of sexual assault involving two teenage alleged victims and one adult.
• The prosecution argues that Manoharan "well knew what he was doing" by using the guise of dirty uniforms to cover up his criminality.
• The trial continues, with more shocking revelations expected next week.

Statistics:

• Manoharan ran the Rooh restaurant from September 2020 to 2022 in Horsham's town hall.
• The trial involves six counts of sexual assault, one count of false imprisonment, and allegations involving two teenage alleged victims and one adult.
• The prosecution alleges that Manoharan touched the teenage staff members under the guise of cleaning their uniforms on multiple occasions.
• One of the charges involves an adult alleged victim, who quit her job at the restaurant shortly after the incident.

Sources:

• [1] The Australian: "Restaurant owner on trial for alleged sexual assaults at Horsham's Rooh restaurant"
• [2] Ballarat Courier: "Manoharan's trial nears end as he admits to touching teenager"