Minor raped in Covid ward, guard arrested in Patna

PATNA: A minor girl rescued from Barh railway station was allegedly raped inside the Covid-19 isolation ward of the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) by a private security guard.
The incident took place on July 8 evening, the day she was brought to the PMCH isolation ward, but the police were informed only on Wednesday after the survivor narrated her ordeal to a child helpline staffer who had gone to visit her.She was found alone at Barh railway station and handed over to child helpline authorities.
Pirbahore SHO Rizwan Ahmed Khan said, "The accused Mahesh Kumar (40), a resident of Danapur, was arrested from PMCH. He is a retired Army man who was working with a private security guard agency and posted at the PMCH."
"Women's police station was informed about the incident where an FIR was lodged on the basis of the victim's statement," Khan said.
State women's panel takes cognizance of rape incident
Women's police station SHO Arti Kumari Jaiswal said the survivor had alleged that Mahesh raped her after dragging her inside the isolation ward's bathroom. "Later, he had molested her on one occasion," she added.
Jaiswal said the survivor was taken to the isolation ward as she was a suspected Covid-19 positive as she was rescued from Barh railway station. Jaiswal said victim told police that some other women were also inside the isolation ward when the incident took place. "It is matter of investigation how the incident took place when some other women were also present," Jaiswal said.
According to the SHO, survivor's medical examination and recording of statement before a judicial magistrate would be completed in the next two days. Barh GRP SHO Rajesh Kumar Singh told TOI over phone that the survivor worked as maid at a village in Biharsharif town of Nalanda for a mere Rs 500 per month.
"She didn't have any address only his cell phone number which was not working. She had boarded a bus in Biharsharif to reach Barh railway station on July 8 when she was handed over to child helpline," he said.
The Bihar State Women's Commission chairman, Dilmani Mishra, told TOI that she has taken cognizance of the incident. "It is a serious incident. I will take details from the SP about the case for ensuring quick conviction and will also talk to the survivor to know further details," she said.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)