KL Report

SRINAGAR

Principal Medical College (PMC) Srinagar Saturday constituted an inquiry committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against Medical Superintendent Lal Ded Hospital Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Rather.

Highly placed sources told a local news agency, CNS, a Resident Medical Officer RMO (name withheld) deputed in Lal Ded Hospital filed a complaint before PMC Srinagar Dr Mohammad Rafiq Pampori alleging that MS Lal Ded Hospital sexually assaulted her in his office chamber.

Sources in LD told CNS that “Para medical staff was stunned and surprised after a female Doctor who is RMO came out from the MS chamber fuming and weeping on Friday evening alleging that Dr Mushtaq Rather forcibly harassed her sexually.”

“It is not the first incident in our hospital. Whenever such incidents occur we are forced to keep our mouth shut, but this time we are not going to listen from these debauch doctors,” one of the staffer told CNS.

After receiving the complaint from the RMO, PMC Srinagar Dr Rafiq Pampori has ordered an inquiry committee headed by Dr Parvez Shah to probe the allegations. Dr Shahnaz Teing and Dr Waseem Quereshi are the two other members of the inquiry committee.

Despite repeated attempts PMC Srinagar did not pick up the phone. However, HoD Lal Ded confirmed to CNS that she was appointed as one of the members of the committee to probe the allegations. However, she said that one of the committee members informed her that RMO has taken her complaint back and accordingly the inquiry committee has been dissolved.

“I was appointed as one of the members to probe the allegations however, I was informed verbally that inquiry committee no longer exists as the complainant has taken her complaint back,” Dr Shehnaz said.

The committee headed by Dr Parvez Shah told CNS that he does not receive any official communication about the dissolution of the inquiry committee. “Committee still stands and hopefully we would start enquiry from Monday. I assure you that committee would come up with a fair report and the guilty would be punished,” Shah said.

One of the doctors of Medical College said that it is surprising to observe that Committee to investigate sexual harassment was dissolved within hours. “What prompted RMO to take back her complaint is a million dollar question. It is not the question of dissolution and constitution of inquiry committee but what is important that ‘episode’ has occurred in an institution which is sacred to all,” he said.

Meanwhile, MS Lal Ded Hospital Dr Mushtaq Rather termed these allegations baseless and told CNS that most of the RMO’s in hospital are females who frequently complain about many issues. “It is baseless and I have not done anything wrong. I don’t understand what you are talking as I don’t know anything about the issue,” Rather said.

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