A female doctor has claimed sexual harassment from the Medical Superintendent (MS) of a Delhi government hospital where she works. She claimed that despite significant evidence against the MS and an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) report supporting her claims, the accused continued to function with impunity.
The development sparked a political feud between the AAP and L-G VK Saxena’s administration. Sanjay Singh, an AAP Rajya Sabha MP, accused L-G VK Saxena of “protecting” the accused MS, claiming that the female doctor attempted to meet with the Health Secretary “several times” about the subject but was “intentionally avoided.” Officials at the L-G Secretariat called Singh’s charges a “lame attempt to divert attention” from the disaster.
Following the woman’s complaint to the health secretary, the health minister’s office requested additional information from the hospital, including information from the ICC that investigated the incident. In a note to hospital officials, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj declared his intention to hear the complainant.
In her complaint, a copy of which was handed to the health minister, the doctor claimed she was forced to request a transfer owing to persistent and distressing harassment by MS. “His predatory behavior was unrelenting.” He stalked her on her morning walks, making her feel unsafe in her personal space, according to the ICC complaint. The Indian Express attempted to contact the medical superintendent for comment, but he was unavailable.
The complainant claimed that he constantly forced her to accompany him to places unrelated to her professional tasks, such as unauthorized travels and outstation visits, using the promise of promotions and career progress to entice her acquiescence. She claimed he pushed her into attending a social meeting of medical superintendents at a private club.
According to the lawsuit, “his harassment escalated when he demanded that she visit him at a private hospital where he was admitted” Despite her formal request for a transfer, the doctor claimed that the superintendent “deliberately withheld action on the application, keeping it pending for over three months”. Furthermore, she stated that her written complaint to Health Secretary S B Deepak Kumar was referred to the ICC. However,