Contractual hospital worker held for rape inside K’taka hospital

AContractual Group-D employee at the territorial dominion infirmary in Bagalkot has been arrested for allegedly raping a adult female who was staying at the readiness to give care for her brother, police said on Thursday. Hospital authorities dismissed the accused from service shortly after the incident came to light.Police said the 34-year-old woman had been staying at the hospital for nearly a month while attending to her brother, who was undergoing treatment there. During this period, she came into contact with the accused, identified as Farid Saab Dangi, an outsourced Group-D worker employed at the hospital.According to the complaint, the accused allegedly threatened the woman and dragged her into a washroom sometime between midnight and 2 am on May 4, where he sexually assaulted her. Police said he also allegedly locked her inside before fleeing.Hearing the woman’s cries, attendants and relatives present at the hospital opened the washroom door and rescued her. Some of those present later allegedly caught the accused and handed him over to the police.Bagalkot superintendent of police Siddharth Goyal said the accused had been arrested and remanded to judicial custody under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.“The victim woman who was allegedly raped by the accused has been treated at the same hospital and is doing well. The Women’s Police Station staff acted rapidly and arrested the accused,” Goyal told reporters on Thursday.Bagalkot Women Police Station circle inspector Dulari said more than five charges had been invoked against the accused, including rape, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement and intentional insult intended to provoke breach of peace.“He, on Wednesday, has been remanded to judicial custody for his offence,” the officer said, adding that the investigation was continuing.The incident has triggered concern within the hospital administration as it occurred inside the district hospital premises.Hospital medical superintendent Mahesh Koni said the accused was removed from service immediately after being handed over to the police.“A few minutes after the accused was handed over to the hospital authority, he was handed over to the police and immediately terminated from the services,” Koni said.Calling the incident damaging to the institution’s reputation, he said the administration would strengthen safeguards for women inside the hospital.“This incident has brought disrepute to the hospital. Measures will be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur, with greater emphasis on the safety and security of women,” he said..