NE NEWS SERVICE
JAMNAGAR, JUNE 23
An HR manager and a supervisor of a government hospital in Gujarat’s Jamnagar city were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly making advances and demanding sexual favours from a woman attendant of the facility, police said.
An FIR was registered against the duo following a complaint lodged by a woman attendant, Assistant Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey said.
A week ago, some contractual women attendants of the hospital had complained of sexual harassment by some of their superiors following which Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ordered a probe into their allegations.
“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,” Pandey said.
The duo has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 354 (use of criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty, 354-A (demanding sexual favours), 354-B (use of criminal force to disrobe a woman) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), the official said.
On June 16, some contractual women attendants employed at the hospital alleged that their supervisors had removed them from service for rejecting their ‘sexual advances’.
One of the women attendants had told reporters that the supervisors would send ‘offers of friendship’ through ward boys, and those who rejected such advances were sacked without being paid any salary for around three months.
Following the allegations, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had ordered an inquiry into the charges through a three-member committee, comprising a sub-divisional magistrate, Jamnagar’s assistant superintendent of police and dean of the Jamnagar medical college.
The Gujarat State Commission for Women had also asked the district superintendent of police to submit within three days a detailed report about these allegations.
