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New details in the case against Phoenix motel manager surface

One former employee shares her experience working for Chandulal Dhanani.

PHOENIX — Update, 10/12/23: Maricopa County prosecutors dismissed the case against Dhanani after his death in February.

Disturbing new details have surfaced about Chandulal Dhanani, the hotel manager accused of groping a number of women who worked and stayed at the motel. 

One woman who worked under Dhanani's management, who chose to remain anonymous, said that she experienced a fearful work environment and inappropriate behavior from him. 

"There have been incidents where he's actually exposed himself to other employees," she said.

She started working at the motel in 2014 and said there were multiple moments in which she experienced behavior that made her uncomfortable. 

"Basically my first or second night working by myself he called me into his office and he asked me out to dinner and specifically had said don't tell your parents or don't tell the manager because she's going to get jealous," she said. 

The then-19-year-old said that that incident was one of many that disturbed her while working for the man who called himself "Sam."

"He told me to smell him and asked if I liked his cologne," she said.

Dhanani, 70, was accused of sexually abusing multiple staff members over an 18 month period between Jan. 2019 through June 2020, but this worker believed it dated back even further.

"Hopefully other people speak out because I'm pretty sure he's been doing this before 2014 when I was working there," she said.

At the time, she said, even though Dhanani never physically assaulted her, she never stopped wondering if he would.

"I'd always have to be watching over my shoulder, have my guard up always just in case," she said.

Police said that DNA evidence has linked Dhanani to at least one of the cases. Meanwhile, the court ordered him to pay a $10,000 bond and wear an ankle monitor, he's scheduled back in court next week.

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