Lab technician assaults 12-year-old girl in Howrah government hospital | Nation

PTC Newsroom: Following the recent rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, a laboratory technician at another government hospital in West Bengal's Howrah district has been accused of assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

According to reports, the girl was admitted to the hospital last week. The incident took place on Saturday evening. According to a hospital official, a complaint has been filed and the accused has been arrested.

The incident occurred around 10pm on Saturday at Howrah district main hospital, where the 12-year-old girl was admitted with pneumonia the previous week. According to India Today, she left the facility in tears after a CT scan and sought help from a relative of another patient.

A family member later reportedly said the child left the lab in tears and said the lab technician “touched her inappropriately and threatened her with serious consequences” if she told anyone about the incident.

The girl's mother, who was waiting outside, rushed to her daughter's side when she heard her screams and immediately called the police.

The incident sparked an uproar among locals and family members of the victim gathered outside the hospital in protest. Some of them allegedly tried to confront and attack the accused.

Police reached the spot and intervened to rescue the accused, Aman Raj, from the angry mob. He was arrested on the basis of a complaint by the girl's family. Officials said investigations were underway.

“A complaint has been lodged at Howrah police station and the accused has been arrested. We have sought an explanation from the private partner who conducted the CT scan of the victim. We will report this to the higher authorities and take appropriate action,” said Narayan Chattopadhyay, superintendent of Howrah Government Hospital.

“The arrested person worked for the public-private partner… We are ensuring the safety of the victim and her family. Repair work was being carried out in the CT room, which started unexpectedly in the evening. We did not know about it,” he added.

– With contributions from agencies