Kalwa Medical College Professor gets 3 years in jail for sexually harassing Female MBBS trainees

Kalwa: A Thane court has sentenced a former professor and head of the surgery department at Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Kalwa to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for sexually harassing MBBS trainees under the pretext of demonstrating diagnostic procedures.  

The incidents, which occurred in 2014, involved Natarajan, who at the time served as the head of the surgery department.

A decade after his arrest, Dr Shaileshwar Natarajan, a senior professor at Rajiv Gandhi Medical College, Kalwa, has been convicted in several molestation cases filed against him ten years ago.

However, he was reinstated as Acting Dean in 2016 after a departmental inquiry, where Thane Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal cleared him of charges.

According to the PTI report, the case came to light after several female students filed complaints with the police, accusing Natarajan of touching them inappropriately under the guise of demonstrating diagnostic procedures. These students also raised their voices in protest, staging demonstrations at the college to highlight their grievances.

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As per a media report in the Free Press Journal, Victims testified that he compelled female students to demonstrate breast self examinations in class and used medical explanations as a cover to touch female patients improperly.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Murlidhar Chandrakant Karkar, who led the investigation, noted the significant hurdles victims face in molestation cases. "We gathered statements from over 20 women who courageously testified against the accused. Some of them even returned from their hometowns after completing their MBBS to appear in court and ensure justice,” ACP Karkar stated.

The case was registered at Kalwa police station, and following an investigation, legal proceedings were initiated against the 63-year-old professor. On Thursday, Magistrate Mohini Nanavare pronounced the sentence, ordering Natarajan to serve three years in jail. In addition, he was fined ₹50,000. Public prosecutor Leena Pednekar confirmed the details of the sentence.

When questioned, Natarajan claimed his actions were part of his teaching methods, denying any intent to outrage the modesty of women. However, the court found these explanations unconvincing. After his arrest, Natarajan spent four to six months in custody before being released on bail. A charge sheet was filed within 60 days of his arrest, bolstered by the vigilance committee’s findings and police evidence.

This conviction marks a significant step in addressing sexual harassment within educational institutions, underlining the importance of accountability and justice for victims.

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