Ward boy arrested for alleged sexual harassment at Burdwan Hospital
Kolkata: The Burdwan police on Tuesday arrested a war boy at the state-run Medical College Hospital for allegedly sexually harassing a patient's daughter inside the hospital premises.
The incident comes against the backdrop of a series of incidents related to physical assaults on doctors and nurses in state-run hospitals in West Bengal. The incident has once again raised questions about the safety and security of patients and medical practitioners inside hospitals in the state.
According to the police, the alleged incident took place on Sunday afternoon. The ward boy was arrested by officers of Burdwan Women Police Station on Monday morning and produced in court, which sent him to two days’ police custody, news agency IANS reported.
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According to hospital sources, a tribal woman has been receiving treatment at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital for some time in a ward below the new building of the hospital. Her married daughter had been staying with her mother since last Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, when the woman was with her mother, the ward boy entered the women’s ward.
“Then he switched off the lights in the room and tried to undress her. When she tried to scream, the accused ward boy first slapped her and then punched her. The woman somehow managed to free herself and came out,” the police said.
Hearing the screams, the people who were present near the women’s ward rushed to the scene. When the lights were turned on in the room, the ward boy was seen running away from there. The patient’s daughter filed a written complaint with the local women’s police station.
After hearing the woman’s ordeal, the police spoke to the hospital authorities. The CCTV footage was also examined, which led to the arrest of the accused ward boy.
“We arrested the ward boy on Monday. He was produced in the Burdwan court. An application was made to take him into five-day police custody for questioning. The court granted two days of police custody. A case has been registered under relevant sections ranging from physical assault to molestation. Investigation is underway,” said a senior officer of East Burdwan district police on Tuesday, reports IANS.
It is learned that the accused resides in Baburbagh Kalitala area of Burdwan city. He has been working as a ward boy at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital for 21 years. The police are investigating whether there are any previous complaints against him.
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