Shinde orders transfer of Nair Hospital dean after associate prof faces sexual harassment charge

PTI, Oct 1, 2024, 7:07 PM IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday ordered the transfer of the dean of Mumbai civic body-run BYL Nair Hospital, where an associate professor was suspended last month after facing accusations of sexually harassing a medical student.

Shinde said besides ordering the dean’s transfer he has also asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to set up a committee to conduct a detailed probe into the matter.

The chief minister also directed the civic commissioner to take additional steps for security of staff and students at the hospital.

“This is a serious issue. We will take strictest action against the guilty. It is our duty to make the hospital a safe place,” Shinde said.

Last month, an associate professor at Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central was suspended for allegedly sexually harassing a medical student.

Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, said when the panel received the sexual harassment complaint, it directed the BMC to take action against hospital dean Sudhir Medhekar because action was delayed against the accused professor.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande said a senior woman officer should probe the matter.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) working president Supriya Sule said anyone accused of sexual harassment must be tried in a fast-track court.

“My demand is not to conduct encounters of such people, but hang them publicly,” emphasised the Lok Sabha MP from Baramati in Pune district.

Sule’s remarks came in the backdrop of the killing of main accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case in a police encounter last month.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar sought to a draw a parallel between the Nair Hospital incident and the rape and murder of a post-graduate resident doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital in August.