Victim Helps Patients’ Kin Grab Accused

Bhoiwada police on Thursday arrested a ward boy for allegedly molesting a 22year-old female resident medical officer (RMO) of KEM Hospital after force-stopping the lift between the second and third floors. The incident took place around 12.30am in the hospital building after the victim, who was on night duty , took the lift to visit the medical neurology department on the third floor. The accused, Popat Bhoware (35), tried to shut her up when she screamed. Bhoware has been suspended and the hospital’s sexual harassment team is investigating the case.It was patients’ relatives as well as the victim herself who managed to nab him on the second floor after he jumped out of the lift on the third floor and ran down the stairs. Bhoiwada police senior inspector Sunil Tondwalkar confirmed the incident. Bhoware has been booked under Indian Penal Code’s sec tions 341 (wrongful restraint) and 354 (outraging modesty).

KEM Hospital authorities were prompt to react to the seriousness of the allegation. “We have suspended the staffer pending an inquiry with immediate effect. It is a very serious allegation and we did not want anything to come in the way of a fair inquiry ,“ said dean Dr Shubhangi Parkar. She added that the resident doctor was brave and reacted quickly to the situation.“She screamed and ran out. She also grabbed the accused when he tried to flee the scene,“ said Parkar. The doctor has already filed a complaint at Bhoiwada police station, Parkar added.The hospital’s prevention of sexual harassment committee will now investigate the allegations.

The incident occurred seconds after a few others present in the lift alighted on the first floor. In the complaint, the vic tim said, “I took the lift from the ground floor when the accused, a female staff nurse and two patients’ relatives were present inside. They got out on the first floor. He grabbed me immediately after the lift door shut and misbehaved with me. When I tried to scream, he pressed my mouth shut and hit the stop button. The lift got stuck between the second and third floors.“ It began to move after a few minutes when someone called it.

The victim was not aware that the accused was employed as a ward boy at the hospital since 15 years. “On reaching the third floor, Bhoware jumped out when the victim managed to open the door. She ran behind him screaming. A few of the patients’ relatives heard her cries and caught him. He was handed over to the security guard who identified him as a ward boy ,“ said inspector Kailash Chavan.

Postwoman `groped’ in Juhu elevator

A Juhu 22-year old postwoman was molested by the liftman of a building on Wednesday afternoon. He was arrested victim and a court remanded him to two days’ police custody. The had gone to deliver a post at Nandadeep building around 2pm, when the accused forcefully dragged her inside the lift and molested her after threatening her. When the lift stopped at one of the floors, she broke free, ran downstairs and alerted the residents, who caught him.–Vijay Singh

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