Resident doctor accused of sexual harassment at Burari Govt Hospital

New Delhi: A resident doctor from the Orthopaedics Department of a government hospital in Burari has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing a 21-year-old patient who had visited the hospital for treatment of a lump on her chest. The doctor was later released on bail, police said. In her complaint, the woman alleged that the doctor initially touched her inappropriately under the pretext of medical examination. She further stated that on another occasion, while she was waiting for the lift, he touched her chest and other parts of her body and also initiated inappropriate conversations, such as asking for her contact number and address. Also read- 4 lab technicians of Rangaraya Medical College arrested, suspended after 50 students allege sexual harassment As per the HT media report, the incident took place on Tuesday when the complainant went to the hospital with her mother after noticing a lump in her chest over the past two weeks. She entered a room where one female and two male doctors were present. While the female doctor was examining her, the accused doctor entered the room without permission and started touching her inappropriately under the pretext of examining her. Later, the accused doctor allegedly sent her to the hospital’s basement to get an X-ray done. When she reached, she found that the X-ray room was closed for the day. She told police that the accused doctor allegedly followed her downstairs and offered to examine her right there in the dimly lit basement. She refused as she was feeling unsafe and uncomfortable. Then she started walking towards the lift and noticed that the doctor was following her. The woman told police that the doctor then began speaking to her in an unprofessional manner, asking for personal details such as her address and phone number. Following this, he allegedly touched her inappropriately and again touched her chest. She managed to run away by taking the lift. Soon after this, she called the police and shared her ordeal. She then registered a case under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the doctor at Burari police station. Within hours of the complaint, the police sent a notice to the accused doctor, and accordingly, he was arrested. However, the doctor was granted bail by the magistrate's court. "He is originally from Patna, and has been on contract at the Burari government hospital for three years, and works in the orthopaedic department. He admitted that the woman had come for treatment," said a police officer.