The police said they could understand the complainant Mallika Srivastava's plight. ``She told us that the hotel management had taken no action against the guilty officials even after she made a complaint. The management did not even cooperate with the police,'' Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Palam area B.M. Chopra said.

According to Chopra, Mallika Srivastava in her complaint said that while on duty at the club she was allegedly molested by health club attendant Bharat Thakur. She scolded him and an altercation ensued during which even the manager, Subhash Datta abused her. ``A verbal duel started and Datta became abusive. From her complaint it appears that one thing led to another and she was physically assaulted too,'' Chopra added.

``The Station House Officer (SHO) Bishan Mohan's letter to the hotel seeking cooperation in investigation of health club receptionist's complaint remains unanswered,'' said another senior police officer. ``And not only that the hotel employees have no respect for the khaki. When investigating officer (IO) Sub-Inspector Subhash Sharma went to Centaur hotel to verify the complaint and talk to eye witnesses, he was abused,'' the officer added.

This is not the first case of molestation of an employee or abuse of power by senior officials of the hotel. ``A case has been registered against the hotel's food and beverages manager for assaulting a labourer in which the labourer's face was battered. A case was also registered against another employee of the hotel for molesting a woman telephone operator. And just three days earlier an inebriated waiter misbehaved in the lobby of the hotel and the Police Control Room (PCR) gypsy had to be summoned to take him away,'' police sources said.

Says another official: ``But the staff never cooperates with the police and in fact threaten investigating officers with dire consequences. And this is because the management seldom takes action against errant officers and employees. In fact their efforts are to brush it all under the carpet''.

Sudhir Sahi, Centaur spokesman, said he did not know whether or not the receptionist's February complaint had been redressed. ``I also do not know why the police say we are not cooperating with them. They are a government department and so are we,'' he added.