Maha: Ward boy jailed for 2 years for allegedly sexually abusing Female Doctor

Mumbai: A ward boy has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by the District Magistrate court for allegedly sexually abusing a woman doctor in the elevator.

The case dates back to December 11, 2014, when the doctor was on the way to the third floor of the hospital from the nephrology department. She was in the elevator when three other individuals got out on the first floor and the accused was with the doctor alone. The accused allegedly sexually abused her while she stood in fear in the elevator stuck between the floors.

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Upon reaching the third floor, the accused ran to escape from the scene but the doctor caught him with the help of the nurse and others present on the second floor. Later, the doctor came to know about his identity. The incident has raised concerns regarding the safety of other females at any hospital.

The court criticized the intention of the 46-year-old ward boy who was suspended from the hospital after the incident by saying "If a woman was present on duty at night, the accused, as a hospital employee, had a moral responsibility to ensure her safety. But the accused did not fulfil that moral responsibility and instead abused the female doctor in the same hospital. So this is the time to curb such attitudes. In this case, there is no need to show sympathy to the accused. Crimes against women can only be avoided if a person with the same mental attitude as the accused is severely punished," the court said.

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The court told TOI, "The act done with the female doctor is highly reprehensible. Therefore, it should be the responsibility of the accused to look after every woman who comes to the hospital while on duty as his warden, whether she is a doctor, a staff member or a patient relative."