Nurses at Panchkula hospital thrash doctor accused of sexual harassment

A doctor at a hospital in Haryana's Panchkula district was thrashed by nurses on Tuesday after one of them alleged that he had sexually harassed her, police said. The nurse, who was posted in the COVID-19 isolation ward, has alleged that the doctor was in an inebriated state when he "sexually harassed" her two days ago, they said.

The nurse told police that the doctor entered the changing room of the ward where she was resting and harassed her. The doctor left after she raised an alarm. The nurse first lodged a complaint with the hospital authorities and an internal inquiry initiated into the matter is underway, according to officials. A video of the nurses thrashing the doctor went viral on social media. Raising slogans, the nurses entered the doctor's room and rained blows on him. Later, police arrived at the scene and tried to pacify the nurses.

"We had received information that nurses were raising slogans and beating a doctor. Hospital authorities told us that they have launched an inquiry. A nurse has levelled allegations of sexual harassment against the doctor and we have filed a case on the basis of her complaint," a police official told reporters in Panchkula.

Panchkula Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jasjeet Kaur told reporters that the hospital's internal committee on cases of sexual harassment was conducting an inquiry. Haryana director general of health services was informed about the incident and the accused doctor has been posted out of the hospital. A report into the matter is being sent to the state women's commission, she said.