Women Guards Allege Harassment At Hands Of Doctor, Get Sacked

Women guards allegedly expelled from ESIC hospital in Vapi in Valsad, Gujarat on Saturday for registering a written complaint against its medical superintendent for sexually harassing them TOI reported. In the letter, the women accused him of forcibly hugging and kissing them and they demanded an internal inquiry against the doctor from the top executives.

Police have registered the complaint against Anil Sahar, medical superintendent after the two women guards, who complained against him called the police after the management failed to respond effectively. Sahar was arrested and booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. One of the guards filed the FIR against him in which she claimed that Sahar was continuously harassing her along with her colleague and that the hospital sacked them after they registered a complaint against him. She also claimed that one of her colleagues had to quit the job because of the consistent harassment by the accused.

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In her statement, the woman also mentioned an incident in which the accused called her into his office on June 15 where she saw him molesting another woman security guard who has since left her job. When Sahar saw her, he grabbed her and pulled her towards himself to forcibly kiss and hug her but she somehow managed to escape his grip and left the office along with the other woman. He went to the extent of asking them to come to his house when his wife wouldn't be there. He also told her that he earns over two lakh rupees and that he can gift her anything.

Reports say that the two women started working at the hospital through a security agency in the month of May and June. The survivor said in her statement that when she disagreed to get into a relationship with the accused, he started to harass her more and when she threatened to file a complaint against him, she was consoled with a hope that she wouldn't be harassed anymore and so she should continue her work as a guard in the hospital. But Sahar against tried to molest her, she claimed.

Women guards, who claimed that the medical superintendent of ESIC hospital at Vapi in Valsad, Gujarat was sexually harassing them, were allegedly expelled on Saturday for registering a written complaint against him with the higher authorities.

The women say that when they complained against the doctor with the department, a committee came from Ahmadabad who took their statements. The committee had assuaged them that after the probe, suitable action will be taken against the doctor and promised them that they wouldn't lose their job. But on Saturday, they were dismissed from their job. They weren't allowed to mark their attendance and were pushed out of Sahar's office when they tried to stage a demonstration out of his office.

“We are collecting evidence and statements of concerned persons will be registered soon. Our investigation is continuing in the matter,” said a police officer at Vapi GIDC police station.

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