In Gujarat A Hospital HR, Supervisor Booked For Seeking Sexual Favours From Woman Attendant

According to the police statement, on Wednesday, the Gujarat hospital HR and supervisor of the Jamnagar Government hospital have been arrested for allegedly asking for sexual favours from a woman hospital attendant.

Some contractual hospital attendants had alleged that their superiors had removed them from the service as the women had rejected their 'sexual advances'. One of them alleged to the media that the superiors sent 'offers of friendship' through the ward boys. And the women who rejected their offer were reportedly sacked from their duties and not paid the salary even after working for three months.

A probe was ordered to investigate the alleged sexual harassment issue after Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He had looked into the matter following the complaint submitted by the contractual women hospital attendants a week ago. The women had accused their superiors of sexual harassment.

Rupani also asked for the formation of a three-member committee that would look into the case. This committee includes the sub-divisional magistrate, assistant superintendent of police of Jamnagar and the principal of the medical college.

The Gujarat hospital HR and the supervisor have been booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 354, 354-A, 354-B and 509, the police official said. Section 354 deals with offenders of criminal force to outrage a woman's modesty. While 354-A includes the demands of sexual favours and 354-B includes the use of criminal force to disrobe a woman. Section 509 includes the offenders of woman's modesty using their words and gestures.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey said, "We arrested the hospital's HR (human resources) manager and the supervisor after their names were disclosed in the FIR, which was registered at Jamnagar 'B' division police station on Tuesday. Further probe into the case is underway."

The district superintendent of police was asked to submit the enquiry report in the alleged sexual harassment case within three days by the Gujarat State Commission for Women.