How Could a Minor Be Assaulted at a State Hospital in Kolkata?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Arrest of a youth accused of assaulting a minor girl.
- The incident occurred at the S.S.K.M Medical College and Hospital.
- The accused is charged under the POCSO Act.
- Questions arise about hospital security and safety protocols.
- The victim's family quickly reported the crime to the authorities.
Kolkata, Oct 23 (NationPress) A young man has been apprehended on allegations of sexually assaulting a minor girl within the premises of state-operated S.S.K.M Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, as reported by police on Thursday.
A police official from the city indicated that the incident transpired on Wednesday afternoon, leading to the suspect's arrest later that same night.
The arrested individual has been charged under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and is set to appear before a lower court in Kolkata on Thursday. The public prosecutor intends to request his police custody.
While law enforcement officials have withheld the exact identity of the detained individual until his court appearance, sources within the city police suggest that he is a contractual employee at another state-run hospital in Kolkata, N.R.S. Medical College and Hospital.
It has been revealed that the accused previously worked at S.S.K.M. and frequently visited the facility.
The primary allegation against him involves the molestation of a 15-year-old minor girl in a washroom located within the S.S.K.M. premises. The victim had visited the outpatient department of S.S.K.M. for treatment purposes.
Family members of the victim assert that the accused pretended to be a doctor, luring the victim to the washroom at the hospital's trauma care center, where he then assaulted her. The victim emerged from the washroom in distress and recounted her experience to her parents.
The Bhabanipur Police Station was notified, leading to the suspect's arrest that same night. Concerns are now being raised regarding how the accused was able to move around freely within S.S.K.M. despite not being affiliated with the hospital anymore.
Earlier this week, a traffic home guard associated with the West Bengal Police was also arrested for assaulting a female junior doctor at a state-run hospital in Uluberia, located in the Howrah district adjacent to Kolkata. The accused had threatened the woman with rape.