Maharashtra Court upholds one year Jailtime for doctor accused of molesting patient in ICU

The doctor had been held guilty for molesting a patient in the ICU of a hospital

Mumbai:  By dismissing a doctor's appeal, a judicial court here upheld the conviction of a 44-year-old doctor in a case of molesting a woman patient in 2013.

A magisterial court had earlier pronounced the accused doctor guilty under Indian Penal Code Section 354 (molestation) and sentenced him to one-year rigorous imprisonment on December 27, 2016.

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The doctor later challenged the order in the district court where Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh S Gupta on Tuesday dismissed his appeal and upheld the sentence awarded to him.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on the accused, saying if he fails to pay it, he will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment for additional three months.

Additional public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale told the court that a 54-year-old woman was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Thane city on May 18, 2013.In the ICU there were other patients too whose beds were separated by curtains.

The patient alleged that the accused doctor molested the patient on the pretext of conducting her check-up. In her complaint she stated that it was around 3 am that under the pretext of checking the pulse rate and blood pressure the accused came to the bed of the victim and molested her. When the victim resisted he kissed her hand and left, the court was told.

However, the accused came to the bed once again after one hour and repeated the act, the prosecutor said.

The victim complained to her husband and children and also urged the hospital management to take action. However, when nothing was done, the woman on getting discharged from the hospital on May 21 lodged a FIR with Naupada police who arrested the accused.

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