Kerala police on Saturday, November 14, have arrested a senior doctor working at a government hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for allegedly sexually assaulting a junior doctor, who was undergoing house surgency at the hospital. The accused is identified as Dr VK Vinu, a native of Thiruvananthapuram.
According to reports, the incident occurred on the afternoon of Friday, November 13. The house surgeon approached Dr Vinu about a swelling on her body. He directed her to a private consultation room at his residence, where he allegedly attempted to assault her sexually.
The junior doctor managed to escape from the room and informed her colleagues. Later, she filed a formal complaint at the Nedumangad Police Station. The police registered a First Information Report (FIR).
However, there were allegations against the police of causing a delay in arresting the accused. Following this, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) conducted a public protest outside the police station on Friday night. Police then took Vinu into custody from his residence around 2.00 am on Saturday and formally arrested him.
K Muraleedharan, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said the government will take strict action against Dr Vinu. “Based on the complaint received, we will also examine the police FIR and take strict action against this doctor. As far as I understand, his track record is not reassuring. We will proceed with further action only after examining all the details thoroughly,” he told the media.
Meanwhile, Bindhu Krishna, the Minister for Women and Child Development, told the media that the government will investigate if there has been any lapse on the part of the police, “I will speak with the Home Minister about this and look into matters. What is truly disturbing is that even highly educated individuals continue to have such distorted mindsets," she added.
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