Bhubaneswar: Odisha continued to grab headlines amid a spate of heinous crimes against women after a nursing officer at AIIMS Bhubaneswar was arrested on sexual harassment charge late on Monday night. The accused Nanu Ram Choudhury was held by Khandagiri police following agitation at the premier health institute, after a female attendant accused him of misbehaviour in the hospital premises and filed a complaint against him.

The victim, in her complaint, had alleged that, Nanu Ram called her to his cabin while she was deployed in the Orthopedics department and outraged her modesty on Sunday night. He had allegedly locked her inside and demanded undue favours while making physical advances at her. 

The incident snowballed after the woman called him out, brought the issue to the notice of hospital authorities and later reached out to the police.

Soon after the news broke out, hospital services were disrupted as the victim, her family, collegues and over 3,000 outsourcing staff called an indefinite strike demanding prompt action in the matter. The protesting contractual workers announced to halt work across all departments except the Emergency ward, until accused officer was arrested and suspended from duty. The protest, which went on throughout the night in front of the main gate of the hospital, escalated as no one from the hospital management turned up to address the issue. Responding to the rising tension on the campus, police initiated a probe and apprehended the accused official from a friend's house late in the night. 

"I alerted the hospital's control room but was asked to file a formal complaint with the police. I want the official to not just be arrested but suspended as well. What happened with me should not happen with any of my colleagues in future," the victim told mediapersons. 

"It is the hospital's duty to file a police complaint on behalf of the victim after the latter has brought up the issue. It is outrageous that the victim has to do the legal procedures while struggling to process the traumatic experience. If the employer cannot safeguard us, who will?," said another protesting contractual staff. 

While the incident comes in the wake of several high-profile crimes against women in the state recently, it has also highlighted the importance of ensuring a safe working environment for women at workplace.