Gujarat: Doctor, sweeper held for ICU rape

A doctor and a sweeper of a leading hospital in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district were arrested in connection with the rape of a 19-year-old dengue patient who was admitted in the intensive care unit for treatment, the police said on Friday. Both the accused — Dr Ramesh Chauhan and Chandrakant Vankar from Apollo Hospital, which is located at Bhat village in Gandhinagar — were arrested on Thursday.

“We have arrested Chauhan and Vankar on the charges of rape. The woman alleged that both of them took turns to rape her on the night of Saturday and Sunday at the hospital where she was undergoing treatment for dengue,” said Adalaj police inspector A.K. Pandya.

The duo has been remanded to police custody by a local court till Saturday.

The woman was raped in the intensive care unit of the hospital, where authorities do not allow relatives of the patient to stay back at night.

On September 7, the woman had lodged a complaint with the Adalaj police alleging that she was raped by the hospital sweeper, whom she identified as Chandu, besides a doctor, whom she could recognise by his face.

Based on the woman’s complaint, the police had lodged a case under section 376 (C)(D) of the Indian Penal Code for rape and subsequently arrested Vankar and Chauhan, said Mr Pandya.

Apollo Hospital said that they are cooperating fully with the police investigation.

“The ward where the incident took place has 14 staff working round-the-clock, and is equipped with CCTV cameras. We are co-operating fully with the police which is examining CCTV footages and carrying out the investigations,” said a statement issued by the hospital.