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A 46-year-old air hostess has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a hospital staff member while she was unconscious and on a ventilator inside the ICU at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Even more disturbing, she says two nurses were present in the room during the incident but didn’t do anything to stop it.
The woman, who’s from West Bengal, had come to Gurugram for a work-related training program. The incident came to light after she told her husband about it following her discharge from the hospital and then filed a police complaint.
Fell ill after swimming, admitted to ICU
According to police and media reports, the woman arrived in Gurugram on March 31 for an airline workshop in the Darbaripur area of Sector 75. She had been staying at a hotel and fell sick after swimming in the hotel’s pool. Her condition got worse, and she was admitted to Medanta Hospital on April 5.
She remained in the ICU for several days, and her health became so critical that she was put on a ventilator.
“I was on a ventilator when some hospital staff sexually assaulted me”
In her complaint, the air hostess said: “On April 6, I was on a ventilator when some hospital staff sexually assaulted me.”
She also claimed she wasn’t in any condition to speak or resist, and that two nurses were in the room but didn’t react or stop the person. The shocking details were reported in the FIR, as quoted by The Times of India.
The woman said she didn’t feel strong enough to report the incident immediately. But once she was discharged from the hospital on April 13, she told her husband and approached the police the very next day.
Police file case, begin investigation
A case has now been registered under molestation and other related sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police say they are taking the complaint seriously and are looking into all possible evidence, including CCTV footage from the hospital and statements from staff.
Medanta Hospital responds to allegations
Medanta Hospital has released a statement saying that it is fully cooperating with the investigation. However, it also mentioned that no allegations have been proven yet.
“We have been made aware of a complaint from a patient and have been fully cooperating with the investigations conducted by the relevant authorities. At this stage, no allegations have been substantiated, and all relevant documents, including CCTV footage from the hospital for the time period in question, have been handed over to the police,” the hospital said.
According to the hospital, CCTV footage and necessary records for the time of the alleged assault have been handed over to investigators. Police are now working to identify the person involved and are speaking to hospital staff to get more details.
