Chandigarh hospital doctor misconduct case: Internal probes rule out sexual harassment
Chandigarh administration accepts hospital’s recommendation for suspending the doctor
Two internal committees probing the case of sexual harassment and misconduct by Dr Anikeit Saini, a senior resident at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, have found that the case of sexual harassment could not be made against him.
According to sources, the internal complaints committee and fact-finding committee headed by professor-rank doctors have ruled out that the case comes under the purview of sexual harassment.
The inquiry reports were submitted to the director-cum-principal of the GMCH on Monday.
However, it was immediately not known whether the case of misbehaviour with two female colleagues has been maintained in the report.
Meanwhile, the UT administration on Monday accepted the recommendation of the hospital to suspend the doctor.
On December 8, police had booked Dr Saini under Sections 354A (making sexually coloured remarks) and 354-B (assault and use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe) of the Indian Penal Code.
It was the hospital that had forwarded the complaint to the Sector 34 police station on December 6, after Dr Anikeit was accused of coming to the medicine OPD under the influence of alcohol and misbehaving with three colleagues, including two female doctors.
He allegedly hindered the doctors from working and dragged one of them from the ICU to the duty room. He also allegedly hit the other female doctor and smashed a bowl kept in the room and tightly held the arm of one of the female doctors while abusing the three all along.
“The fact-finding committee and internal complaints committee have conducted a speedy probe into the allegations and the reports have been filed. We are looking into it,” said Dr BS Chavan, director-cum-principal.
On the doctor’s suspension, the hospital administration said the case for preliminary action against him was moved to the UT administration last week and the recommendation for suspension has been accepted.
“Even though the accused doctor is deemed suspended since he has been in the police custody for more than 48 hours, the hospital administration required permission from the higher-ups in the UT administration for issuing formal orders for suspension,” said a senior GMCH official, requesting anonymity.
The official said the recommendation for suspension was accepted by the acting UT adviser, Arun Kumar Gupta, on Monday. Formal orders will be issued on Tuesday morning, he said.
