Steel Plant doctor arrested for allegedly harassing minor girl during treatment

Visakhapatnam: A 57-year-old doctor working at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Hospital, Vizag has been arrested by the Steel Plant Police for allegedly harassing a 17-year-old girl who had come to the hospital for treatment.  

As per a media report in the Hindu, the police said that the incident took place when the minor girl had gone to the hospital along with her father on Tuesday. Her father is an employee of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The doctor is reported to have harassed her during the time of treatment.

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The girl told her parents about the incident late at night, after which they called the police via the helpline number 100, and subsequently filed a complaint. 

The local police officials along with the officials associated with the Disha police reached the girl's house after that and collected further details. The police officials questioned the doctor on Wednesday and took him into custody. He was placed under arrest. He was then sent to remand on Thursday after being produced in the court, reports the Hindu.  

Cases have been registered against the doctor by the Steel Plant Police under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. 

The Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported about a similar incident of harassment where a second-year MBBS student of a medical college in Chennai and three of his friends were arrested by the Vadapalani All Women Police station for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. They were arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). 

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, or POCSO, (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeks to provide for stringent punishment for those engaging in sexual crimes against children.