Doctor allegedly sexually harasses women employees at workplace, arrested

On Friday, the pictures and videos of the doctor harassing his colleagues went viral on the internet. A case was filed at the women's police station against the doctor based on a complaint moved by a representative of a women's organization on November 26.

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The videos and photos show that the doctor sexually harassed around eight women employees, reports Times of India.

The City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar stated that the victims earlier were not ready to file a complaint against the harasser, since many of them were working on a contract basis, and they believed the doctor to be powerful.

However, they have agreed to give their statements before a magistrate if a case is filed against the doctor.

Notices would be served to the survivors so that they could appear before the investigation officer, and their statement would be recorded, stated the police.

The commissioner Kumar in his video message said, "Even after the news was published in the media, the victims are hesitant to file complaints fearing for their future. Women's police station PI contacted the victims and collected all the necessary information. The victims refused to come forward to file any complaints but have assured to co-operate during the investigation. We have registered a case against the doctor under section 354 IPC, after a woman filed a complaint on behalf of one of the victims and have taken the doctor into our custody for further investigations."

The city police commissioner confirmed the arrest of the doctor and added that he was produced before a court that put him into two days police custody. The police also recorded the statement of a member of the internal complaints committee, and three survivors.

As per preliminary investigations, the doctor took his employees to various places like Kundapur, Murudeshwar , Madikeri, Piriyapatna where he allegedly sexually harassed them, which was recorded on the video that got leaked on the internet.

Meanwhile, according to a media report in The Hindu, the doctor had filed a writ petition in the High Court of Karnataka questioning the report of the internal complaints committee, where he argued that the committee had no jurisdiction to conduct a probe due to the absence of a written complaint. He claimed that the committee has taken a WhatsApp message received by the Deputy Commissioner as the complaint.

In response, the High Court bench headed by Justice S.G. Pandit had stayed the report on November 18 for eight weeks. Further, the doctor placed the order of the High Court before the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal.

Thereafter, the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal, headed by its Chairman Justice R.B. Budihal, stayed the order of suspension till further notice on November 24. The matter is slated to be heard next on December 2.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) had received an anonymous letter a few months ago about the misbehavior and harassment by the same doctor following which the city police had conducted an investigation. The police did not take any action claiming that no one came forward to file a complaint due to which they had no evidence to take the case forward.

The police replied to the NCW that the preliminary investigation revealed indecent behavior and harassment by the said medical officer. Some sources had said that the victims could file a complaint if the doctor was transferred from the district.

DHO Dr Kishore Kumar M has approached the police asking for protection of the women employees, after the incident of sexual harassment at workplace came to be known on Friday, because of the possible threats that the employees could face.

Also Read: Doctor allegedly molests minor at Mohalla clinic, NCPCR seeks action from Delhi police