Bhubaneswar: One person has been arrested in connection with alleged sexual harassment and criminal intimidation of a staff nurse of a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, police said on Thursday.
The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman at Maitri Vihar police station in the capital city on Wednesday.
Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against three persons in connection with allegations. While one of them has been arrested, efforts are on to apprehend the rest two.
The accused were booked for several offences, including wrongful restraint, promoting enmity between groups, common intention, criminal intimidation BNS 351 (3), and sexual harassment under different sections of the BNS, police said.
The staff nurse of a private hospital at Chandrashekharpur had levelled serious allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against a medical assistant and the hospital management.
The incident, which took place on October 25, came to light after the woman, who had been serving as the OT-in-charge at the hospital for about 10 months, filed a police complaint. “At 2.30 pm on October 25, the Neuro assistant abused me using foul language and even touched me inappropriately. He also gave me rape threats. He said that the CCTV might protect her inside the clinic but not outside,” she told the media.
She said that he acted vindictively after she spoke about irregularities in the hospital, including nurses operating on patients.
The woman further claimed the hospital management colluded with the accused, withheld her salary, and pressured her to resign. “The HR instead blamed me and dilly-dallied on the issue saying that an inquiry was on. After waiting for eight days, I was asked on Tuesday to resign within 24 hours. They even threatened to blacklist me,” she said.
In her police complaint, she further alleged that other junior nurses are also being meted out similar mistreatment.
While the hospital authorities are yet to issue a statement on the allegation, police are continuing the investigation.