32-year-old patient raped at Shimla’s mental hospital

Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 376 of the IPC.

A 32-year-old female patient was allegedly raped by another patient at government-run Himachal Hospital For Mental Health And Rehab in Shimla town on Wednesday.

HT File

The Shimla police have registered a case under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Boileauganj police station. Shimla superintendent of police (SP) Omapati Jamwal said they have initiated investigation. He said both the victim and accused are undergoing treatment at the mental hospital. No arrest has been made so far.

The incident came to light when a female staff member saw the duo in a ‘compromising position’ in a hospital toilet. She informed the hospital management which informed the police. The hospital is located three kilometres from the main town.

Medical superintendent of the hospital Sanjeev Pathak said, “The matter was reported to the police. The two were did found in an objectionable position but we are not sure whether it was a sexual assault or not. The matter came to light when the hospital staff launched a search for both the patients as they were not found in their wards in the morning when all patients are given their medicines.”

He said that the hospital management has also launched an internal probe to ascertain the veracity of the facts into the matter.

The hospital has 60 beds and presently 52 are occupied.