Rajkot AIIMS doctors strike after intern claims nursing staff molested her

Resident doctors at Rajkot AIIMS, Gujarat went on strike after a 25-year-old female MBBS intern alleged that a nursing staff member physically harassed her inside a dressing room while they were on duty.

The accused, identified as nursing staff member Lalit Sharma, has been arrested by Gandhigram Police in Rajkot and produced before a court. An FIR has been registered.

The resident doctors launched a protest following the alleged incident and demanded action against Sharma. Around 50 to 60 doctors gathered near the Emergency-Trauma Centre and staged a demonstration, raising their concerns with AIIMS Deputy Director Ankur Pratap Singh.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryWHAT THE FEMALE DOCTOR ALLEGEDAccording to the FIR, the 25-year-old intern had been on duty in the dressing department of Rajkot AIIMS since September 25.

On September 26, she was working in the dressing room from 9 am to 1 pm. During her duty, Lalit Sharma, who was assisting her, allegedly took her mobile phone and tried to look at the photographs stored on it.

The doctor objected, following which he returned the phone.

The two were again on duty together in the dressing department on September 30, from 9 am to 5 pm. The FIR states that when there were no patients, Sharma partially closed the room's door and tried to engage the doctor in conversation.

He allegedly suggested that they go out for a meal and offered to throw a party. The doctor declined, saying that she ate at the mess.

She also told Sharma that she was married and that his repeated flirting was inappropriate. According to the complaint, Sharma responded by asking, "Who eats the same home-cooked lentils every day?" and continued making allegedly inappropriate remarks.DOCTOR ALLEGES UNWANTED PHYSICAL CONTACT

The FIR states that the woman was sitting on a chair in the dressing room when Sharma allegedly tried to pull her, along with the chair, towards himself.

Later, when she was sitting on a bench made by joining three steel chairs, Sharma allegedly came and sat beside her.

According to the complaint, he then gestured towards her waist and asked, "Can I touch you?"

The doctor objected and told him that he could not do so. Despite this, Sharma allegedly placed his hand on her waist, held her and later put his hand on her shoulder.

Shaken by the incident, the doctor immediately left the dressing room and went to the emergency department, where she told a colleague about what had happened.

The incident was subsequently reported to fellow interns. A decision was then taken to lodge a formal complaint at the departmental level. The complainant also submitted a written complaint to the AIIMS Chairman.RESIDENT DOCTORS DEMAND ACTION

Following the allegations, resident doctors at Rajkot AIIMS went on strike and gathered near the Emergency-Trauma Centre to protest.

The doctors submitted their complaints and demands to AIIMS Deputy Director Ankur Pratap Singh. Senior officials reportedly assured them that appropriate action would be taken.

Resident Doctor Rakesh, speaking to the media, alleged that Nursing Officer Lalit had physically molested a fellow intern. The resident doctors demanded his termination and said they would not call off their strike until their demand was met.

The doctors have since called off the strike following police action against the accused.POLICE ARREST ACCUSED, PROBE UNDERWAY

Gandhigram Police arrested Lalit Sharma and put him before the court.

Preliminary police investigation has found that Sharma currently lives in the Nageshwar area of Rajkot city and is originally from Pali in Rajasthan.

Police are continuing their investigation and are collecting relevant CCTV footage and recording statements of witnesses.

There has been no official statement from the AIIMS Director on the matter so far.- EndsWith inputs from Ronak Yogeshkumar Majithiya