Cleaner arrested for molesting teenage patient at hospital

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A 39-year-old cleaner allegedly molested a teenage patient by tying her hand to the bed at a civic-run hospital here in Maharashtra, police said Wednesday. The accused, identified as Dinesh Koli, has been arrested for the incident which took place at the hospital located in Thane district's Kalwa town around 12.30 am on Saturday, a police official said. The 14-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital on December 19 as she was suffering from seizures.

During the treatment, her one hand was tied to the bed to administer saline to her, police said. On Saturday, the accused came over there. He tied the girl's other hand also to the bed and allegedly touched her inappropriately, as per the First Information Report (FIR) registered in the case. A patient on an adjacent bed saw the girl panicking and sensing something amiss, the former raised an alarm following which the accused was caught, police said.

Based on a complaint filed by the girl's father, the accused was arrested by the Kalwa police on Monday and booked under Indian Penal Code Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, police said. The hospital authorities refused to comment on the incident.

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