Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday (October 1, 2024) directed BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to immediately transfer the dean of B.Y.L. Nair Hospital and Medical College, Sudhir Medhekar, in light of a sexual harassment case against a now-suspended assistant professor.
Dr. Medhekar was accused of not taking timely action against the accused assistant professor despite receiving complaints from the students.
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The Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) met Mr. Shinde and requested a thorough probe into the case. Following this, the Chief Minister has called for swift action and assured that justice will be delivered to the victims.
Medical interns’ plea
Speaking to The Hindu, the association members urged the administration not to assign the transferred faculty member until the current batches have graduated. They requested that these faculty members not be appointed as external coordinators during exams. “Along with these two demands, we are also calling for stronger enforcement of PoSH regulations,” a member of the association said.
In addition, a special inquiry committee will be formed to conduct a thorough investigation into the case, the Chief Minister said, while also stressing on the importance of implementing stricter safety measures to safeguard hospital staff and students.
“Incidents like these in the healthcare sector are extremely serious. We will ensure a full investigation and take strict action against those responsible. It is our duty to create a safe environment for everyone in the hospital,” he said.
Following the instructions, the civic body has appointed Cooper Hospital Dean Shailesh Mohite as the new dean and Dr. Medhekar will be reassigned to Cooper Hospital.
Recently, several female students lodged complaints against the accused assistant professor of the hospital, accusing him of sexual harassment. The government’s move comes in response to rising public outrage following criticism surrounding the Badlapur sexual assault case of two minors and Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital rape incident.
A hearing was organised by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) last week, during which, according to the ASMI, several complaints were submitted, and many students testified before it. “We have presented evidence against the assistant professor and the dean. If our demands, based on this evidence, are not met, we are prepared to launch a Statewide protest in Maharashtra,” it said in a statement.
Earlier, investigations by Nair Hospital’s ICC and the Local Complaints Committee (LCC) recommended transferring the accused professor to another college. However, the BMC suspended him and called for a higher-level ICC to conduct a more in-depth inquiry.
It is learnt that the accused assistant professor had threatened the female students with academic consequences if they reported about him. As a result, many students did not come forward initially.
Published - October 02, 2024 09:25 am IST
