Did a Male Nurse Molest a Woman in an Ahmedabad ICU?
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Ahmedabad, Jan 31 (NationPress) The local police have detained a male nurse following accusations of molesting a semi-conscious female patient in the ICU of a private hospital situated in the Sabarmati region, officials revealed on Saturday.
The arrest came in response to a complaint filed by the victim on January 27.
The alleged perpetrator has been named as Indrajit Rathod, who resides in Chamanpura, Asarwa, and was working as a staff nurse at Metis Hospital during the incident.
The initial report filed at the Sabarmati police station indicates that the woman was admitted to the facility after attempting self-harm by ingesting sleeping pills.
Authorities disclosed that the complainant was experiencing significant mental distress due to ongoing marital issues and had been staying with her parents for a period.
As her condition deteriorated, she was relocated to the ICU, where she was in a semi-conscious state under medication. The woman reported that in the early hours, while she was lying in the ICU, the accused came to her and inappropriately touched her.
She claimed that the man exploited her vulnerable condition and repeatedly touched sensitive areas of her body.
Upon partially regaining consciousness and raising an alarm, the accused allegedly fled the ward.
Inspector Y.R. Waghela from Sabarmati police stated that a case was initiated after the survivor reported the incident and provided her statement.
“An offence of molestation has been registered against a male nurse at Metis Hospital based on the woman's complaint. She has stated that the accused exploited her vulnerable state while she was semi-conscious in the ICU,” Waghela noted.
Authorities indicated that the three-month delay in filing the complaint was related to the woman's medical condition and mental health following the incident.
The survivor reportedly informed her family shortly after the alleged incident. Her father subsequently sought access to CCTV footage from the hospital, but claimed that hospital officials initially denied the request.
Investigators later reviewed the CCTV footage and hospital records, including staff duty rosters, which led to the identification of Rathod as the suspect. Police reported that the accused is married and has been employed at the hospital for approximately two years.
No prior criminal records have been discovered against him thus far, although officials stated that his background is currently being scrutinized.
The suspect has been placed into custody, and further inquiries are ongoing.
Authorities are also looking into whether there were any shortcomings in hospital procedures and patient safety measures related to the incident.