Kolkata News: It is a shocking incident that has come to the fore from Kolkata‘s Institute of Child Health, where a 26-year-old woman alleged molestation by a ward boy who allegedly entered the children’s ward, touched inappropriately and disrobed her when she was asleep. According to the complaint filed with the police by the victim, it was alleged that the accused, Tanay Pal, entered the ward where she was sleeping as her child was undergoing treatment.
Violation of Trust and Safety
The fact that the woman had gone to rest by the bedside of her sick child makes this a very worrying incidence, a serious breach of trust and safety within a health facility. It is said that the perpetrator recorded the assault on his mobile phone, taking the violation aspect to another level.
The incident is particularly alarming in the wake of recent similar incidents in Kolkata. Just weeks ago, a trainee doctor was raped and murdered inside the walls of RG Kar hospital, and a civic volunteer by the name of Sanjay Roy was arrested in connection with the crime. The case had already cast a shadow over the safety of hospital environments within the city.
Recent Incident Highlights Systemic Issues
Kolkata Police acted very swiftly after the complaint lodged by the woman. FIR lodged against Tanay Pal under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and he has been taken into custody immediately. The mobile phone that he was holding has been seized and sent to forensic for further analysis. The latter has been produced in the local court; he has been remanded to police custody so that the police continue with their investigations.
This incident is merely a follow-up case from another reported instance in the Birbhum district of West Bengal where a man was arrested for supposedly molesting an on-duty nurse. The nurse claimed that the patient, who was admitted to the hospital with a high fever, touched her inappropriately and even used abusive language.