NEW ORLEANS, LA. (THECOUNT) — Vishal Motwani, owner of Kama Sutra Cabaret, a gentleman’s club in New Orleans’ French Quarter, has been arrested and charged with raping an intoxicated 16-year-old girl who was visiting the area with friends.
Louisiana officials were already investigating the club over complaints of underage dancers, underage drinking and prostitution at the club, authorities said.
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Motwani, 36, is charged with third-degree rape, false imprisonment and indecent behavior with a minor, New Orleans police said in an affidavit obtained by news outlets this week.
The club is located at, 433 Bourbon St in New Orleans, LA.
Club employee Kenneth Rancifer, 40, is accused of leading the girl to Motwani’s office where the attack allegedly happened. He’s charged with kidnapping and being a principal to rape, the documents show.
The Bourbon Street club was closed and had its liquor license suspended in February as the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control investigated complaints against its conduct, the agency told news outlets on Thursday. The rape investigation apparently began around the same time, reports KTBS.
The victim told police she was allowed into Kama Sutra in November 2018 without having to show identification, the police affidavit said. The girl said a dancer gave her alcohol and brought her to a private booth to coach her on stripping when Rancifer came in and invited her to Motwani’s office.
Motwani then asked the girl to come home with him, offering to pay her, buy her a car and saying he was “a very important guy” in town. He eventually raped her, police documents said.
Security camera video showed a friend helping the girl leave the club that night, investigators said.
Motwani is a nephew of French Quarter property owner Mike Motwani, whose attorney said the two are estranged. An attorney for Vishal Motwani declined comment to news outlets on the allegations.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: New Orleans is a Louisiana city on the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico. Nicknamed the “Big Easy,” it’s known for its round-the-clock nightlife, vibrant live-music scene and spicy, singular cuisine reflecting its history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures. Embodying its festive spirit is Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties – wikipedia.