After Kolkata Doctor Rape and Murder case, UP 20 years old Nurse got raped by Doctor. From the shocking case of Moradabad to one in Kolkata, a similar thread has emerged in the recent rape cases by medical professionals.
First of all, there is the case of a private hospital at Thakurdwara-Kashipur road in Moradabad, where a young 20-year-old nurse was allegedly raped late Saturday night by one Dr. Shahnawaz. A disquieting trend of sexual violence within the medical setting emanated with this incident that has grabbed eyeballs. According to the police, Dr. Shahnawaz was arrested along with another nurse, Mehnaz, and a ward boy, Zunaid, based on the complaint from the victim’s father at Thakurdwara police station on Monday. The case has been registered under sections 61(2), 64, and 351(2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and section 127(2) of the SC/ST Act.
The details of the Moradabad case are particularly alarming. The nurse, working in the hospital for the past 10 months, was allegedly called by Dr. Shahnawaz on some false pretext. When she objected to his advances, Zunaid and Mehnaz allegedly forced her into Dr. Shahnawaz’s room and locked the door from outside, which enabled the doctor to commit the rape. Dr. Shahnawaz also took away the victim’s mobile phone to prevent her from raising an alarm immediately. It wasn’t until the head nurse came in the following morning that the survivor was able to report the incident and then left home.
This case uncannily brings to mind a recent high-profile rape case in Kolkata, where a gang of doctors were accused of sexually assaulting, brutally raping and murdering a fellow Doctor under very similar circumstances. It is in both cases that the offenders used their position of authority and trust to carry out their atrocities—something that does show a very troubling pattern of abuse within the medical profession.
The case in Kolkata, similar to the Moradabad one, sets out people’s vulnerabilities in medical setups with a number of open-ended questions as to the safety and integrity of such places, and with equal urgency. Both cases drew countrywide indignation and demands for more effective ways to ensure the safety of patients and staff inside healthcare institutions.
On the Moradabad case, the district authorities responded quickly, locking the hospital and completing the medical examination of the victim. Moradabad SP, Sandeep Kumar Meena said, “Investigation is on, and all necessary steps are being taken to ensure justice for the survivor.”.
The similarities in the two cases demand urgent, far-reaching systemic reforms to forestall such abuses and guarantee accountability in health. As both cases are still unfolding, they each stand as a humbling reminder of vigilance and reforms needed to protect people from such egregious violations of trust and safety.