Medicos allege security lapses after 2 MBBS interns molested at Sonipat's medical college campus

Sonipat: Following the alleged molestation of two female MBBS interns, several interns of Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women, Khanpur Kalan, have slammed the security arrangements on campus. 

Dainik Bhaskar has reportedly obtained video footage of the route where the incidents took place. According to students, the stretch lacks proper lighting and did not have any security guard deployed at the time. 

They alleged that the stretch was largely deserted and engulfed in darkness, which, they alleged, allowed the accused to target the trainee doctors.

Medical Dialogues had reported that several MBBS students staged a protest on the campus of the medical college after two female MBBS interns were reportedly molested in two separate incidents. Both incidents took place on the campus within a span of around 30 minutes on the night of August 15.

The first incident allegedly took place around 10.30 pm when an MBBS intern was heading towards the hostel with a cup of tea after finishing her duty. At the time, a young man behind the hostel suddenly covered her mouth and scuffled with her. The intern suffered scratches on her neck during the incident. After she raised an alarm, the accused reportedly fled from the spot.

The second incident took place around 11 pm near the hostel when another intern was on her way from the library to the hostel, and a young man was allegedly following her. He then grabbed her from behind, pressed her mouth and throat and started touching her private parts. The accused fled after the intern raised an alarm.

The Students Welfare Society claimed that students identified one of the accused and that he was caught while allegedly hiding in bushes after the incident and is currently in police custody after being arrested. 

Questions over campus security

An MBBS trainee doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a route connecting the intern hostel to the library is frequently used by trainee doctors to travel to and from the medical college.

"There is a path to the library on the right side from the intern hostel. Trainee doctors use this same path to come and go to the medical college. There is a door at the back of the hostel, and a construction site is underway near it. This approximately 100-meter path from the hostel to the library remains quite deserted at night," the doctor added. 

The female students claim that even after the incident with two intern doctors on the night of 15 August, no expected changes in security arrangements were visible in many parts of the campus until the next day.

To support this, female students recorded videos of different parts of the medical college and hospital showing that security personnel were not visible at several locations on the campus.

However, after the incident, the administration has now installed lights and CCTV cameras on the concerned route. But, citing the shortage of security guards, they have passed the ball of vacancies to the government's court.

College administration responds to allegations

Responding to the concerns, Medical College Director Jagdish Chandra Dureja told Dainik Bhaskar, "After the harassment incident, female students had demanded installation of lights, CCTV cameras and barriers. All these arrangements have been made according to their demands."

According to Director Jagdish Chandra Dureja, currently 175 security guards are working in the medical college, whereas a total of 275 guards are required.

He also mentioned sending the retirement process for about 80 guards to the administration.

"Based on whatever orders are received from the administration, security arrangements will be made accordingly," he said.

Also read- 2 MBBS interns of Sonipat's medical college molested on campus, FIR registered after students protest