Preliminary probe report on sexual harassment of Odisha staff nurse submitted

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Nov 1, 2014 at 9:35 PM Updated On : Nov 2, 2014 at 12:45 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Angul, Nov 1:

The committee, formed by the chief district medical officer (CDMO) to probe into the allegations of sexual harassment by a lady staff nurse against Dr Pabitra Mohan Rout, a contractual doctor at the district headquarters hospital in Odisha’s Angul district, has submitted its preliminary report to the district collector.

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According to reports, the district collector Sachin Ramachandran Yadav had met the victim, the accused doctor and the eyewitnesses yesterday and heard their versions.

The CDMO, who was also present, handed over the report of the committee to the collector.

“Though the CDMO had formed a committee to probe into the allegation by the victim, it has been decided that the matter will be referred to the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Committee for further probe into the matter”, the collector told reporters later.

Meanwhile, local women rights activist and volunteer Sneha Das, who met the victim earlier in the day, expressed displeasure over the modus operandi of the committee formed by the CDMO.

“The committee, which has been hurriedly formed by the CDMO, could not have conducted the probe properly,” she alleged.

“There is no working atmosphere for the working women in the district headquarters hospital, Sneha Das said “The victim, instead of getting jutice has been deliberately harassed by the concerned authorities, who have time and again repeated sought explanations from her, which is a serious criminal offence. Instead of taking appropriate action, the concerned authorities, on the pretext of investigation, are trying their best to shield the guilty,” Das said.

The Angul District Women’s Association too has expressed its displeasure over the fact that the administration has not yet formed a cell in the district to deal with issues and incidents involving the safety and protection of women.

The Association, however, hoped that the district collector would provide justice to the victim.

It may be mentioned that the lady staff nurse, in a media briefing yesterday, had said that she had been mentally and sexually harassed by Dr Rout over the last one year.