The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has urged the East Khasi Hills Police to immediately arrest a male nurse accused of molesting a minor girl at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong. The union also expressed concerns over the hospital’s handling of the incident and alleged delays in police action.
A KSU delegation met East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem and submitted a memorandum seeking swift action in the case, which is being investigated under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to KSU General Secretary Reuben Najiar, the alleged incident took place on July 4 after the minor underwent an appendix operation at NEIGRIHMS.
The minor was shifted to an observation room after surgery and was left alone without a female nurse or attendant. She was allegedly molested by a male nurse. She could not shout or seek help because she had just come out of surgery and had no strength. The minor informed her mother about the incident after she was shifted back to the ward, following which an FIR was lodged at the Mawdiangdiang Police Outpost on the same day.
However, the KSU alleged that, despite the FIR being registered, police did not act immediately. The police should have acted as soon as the FIR under the POCSO Act was filed. Instead, there was a delay of around 48 hours. It was only after the intervention of the KSU that police visited NEIGRIHMS to record the statements of the accused and the victim. This delay gave the accused an opportunity to evade immediate arrest.
The union also criticised a section of NEIGRIHMS staff, alleging that some male nurses and other employees staged a protest in support of the accused after the POCSO case was registered. It is shocking to see hospital staff coming out in support of a person accused of such a serious offence. In our memorandum, we have urged the police to examine whether those who allegedly obstructed the investigation and supported the accused should also face legal action for abetment.
East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said police have registered the case under the POCSO Act and that the investigation is progressing. The police have taken up the case under the POCSO Act. We are examining all aspects of the matter. Since the offences alleged are punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years, the law mandates the issuance of a notice under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) instead of immediate arrest.
