Thane crime: Sweeper rapes patient at Ulhasnagar hospital

The Ulhasnagar-based, government-run Kamgar Hospital has come under the scanner for another case of sexual assault on patients. While the first such case came to the fore in 2013, where a 55-year-old ward boy was held for molesting a 34-year-old woman (see box: 2013 molestation), another case has been registered against a 59-year-old sweeper, for raping a 45-year-old woman.

Also read: Hospital ward boy booked under new anti-rape law

The accused told the woman he has ‘good contacts' in the Kamgar Hospital. Pic/Navneet Barhate

However, before the case was registered, the accused, Jai Singh Bhaskar fled from the hospital on a sick leave.

The hospital is run under the Employees State Insurance Scheme and is popularly known as Kamgar Hospital.

The 45-year-old complainant is a resident of Ambernath and works with a private garment company. She met Bhaskar when she visited the hospital for some treatment. Bhaskar, who works as a sweeper, used to stay in the hospital's residential quarters.

'Good contacts'
In her complaint to the police, the woman said that after she started interacting with the accused, she discussed her daughter's job prospects with him. "The accused said he has good contacts in Kamgar and assured her that he would get her daughter a job. On May 19, Bhaskar called the woman at his residence with her daughter's documents. Taking advantage of the woman being alone, he raped her," said a senior officer from the Central Police Station, where the case is registered.

AV Saigaonkar, Senior Police Inspector, Central Police Station confirmed that the case been registered on Thursday stating that a woman sub-inspector is carrying out further investigation.

ESIS says
Vijay Muglikar, Resident Medical Officer of ESIS hospital said, "The woman was scared after the incident. On June 15, she gave us a written complaint against Bhaskar. Taking serious note, we sent the report to the Central Police Station the very next day. A day before the complaint letter, the accused went on sick leave and didn't inform us about the joining date. We also sent him a letter asking him to give an explanation for the complaint."

Megha Ayare, medical superintendent of ESIS hospital spoke to the woman and took her statement, which was sent to the police.

"The woman used to come for general treatment in the hospital and started interacting with the accused as they he had a good command over the Gujarati language. She thought he may help her," added Muglikar.

A case has been registered at Central police station in Ulhasnagar under section 376 (Rape), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.