A 35-year-old woman admitted to St George Hospital, on displaying early symptoms of COVID-19, was allegedly molested. The woman said that an unknown person wearing a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kit allegedly molested her on Wednesday night. Following the allegations, MRA Marg Police registered a First Information Report and began their investigation.
As per her complaint, the incident took place on Wednesday night when she was asleep. Around 11.30 pm, a person wearing a PPE kit came near and touched her inappropriately. After the incident was reported at MRA Marg Police Station, a case of molestation was registered under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code against an unknown accused.
According to the police officials, the woman, a resident of Mazgaon, was admitted to JJ Hospital as a suspected case of coronavirus on Wednesday. She was coughing a lot and is an asthmatic patient. Her oxygen level was also low, said an official. Following the tests, she was shifted to St George Hospital and admitted in ward number 10, which is for suspected cases of COVID-19. The ward is a common ward, where both men and women patients have been admitted.
According to the police, the woman wanted to go home and was continuously talking to her family member over the phone and kept asking them to take her home. The doctors also asked her not to speak on the phone and to take rest as her oxygen level was low.
As the ward was a COVID-19 ward, no one was allowed to enter inside. “There were 9 to 10 COVID-19 suspected patients admitted in the ward. We are trying to question them whether they found anyone’s activity to be suspicious and are also looking for CCTV footage if available,” added the officer.
This is not the first time a patient has alleged sexual assault inside a COVID-19 centre. In July, a 40-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a COVID-19 centre by a fellow COVID-19 patient in Panvel. In September, a sanitation worker was held for molesting a 17-year-old girl inside a quarantine centre in Mankhurd.
