Woman Alleges Sexual Harassment By Colleagues In Delhi Hospital, Health Minister Orders Probe

The woman in her complaint claimed the four accused molested and harassed her and two other female employees on December 17 and December 19.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has directed the chief secretary to constitute an inquiry committee to look into the allegations. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: A woman, who works at a hospital in north Delhi's Burari, has accused her manager and three supervisors of molesting and harassing her and two other employees, police said. She works as a housekeeping staff on a contract basis in North Delhi's Burari Government Hospital.

According to a police official, the complainant's manager Rajkumar, and three supervisors Neeraj, Adarsh, and Deepak of Global Venture, a firm tasked with providing multitasking manpower to the Hospital, have been booked and asked to join the probe, reported PTI.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has also directed the chief secretary to constitute an inquiry committee to look into the allegations of molestation and harassment of women contractual workers.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj orders to immediately constitute an inquiry committee under the chairmanship of the Health Secretary in connection with the case of sexual harassment of outsourced workers at Burari Hospital: Health Minister's Office, Delhi Government pic.twitter.com/V5O4suLi2z

— ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2023

The woman in her complaint claimed the four accused molested and harassed her and two other female employees on December 17 and December 19, reported PTI.

As per her complaint, the accused on December 17 allegedly molested them and on December 19, abused and threatened the women of removing her from the job if she did not agree to their unreasonable demands, an official said.

According to the report, police have registered a case under IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 509 ( Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) at Burari Police station on December 19.

"The four have been booked and bound down under 41A CrPC. Further investigation is in progress," another officer said, adding that the victims' statements were recorded in front of a magistrate and their medical examination and counselling were done.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) condemned the incident and demanded swift action against the accused. "Immediate inquiry into this case is imperative. The deputy commissioner of police, North Delhi, has been asked to send the action-taken report and a copy of FIR to the commission in two days," the NCW said in a statement.

The Delhi Commission for Women issued notices to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Burari and the Medical Superintendent of the Burari Government Hospital, seeking an action-taken report within three days.