Police file FIR in AIIMS child abuse case (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI - The Delhi Police Monday registered a case accusing a junior resident doctor of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences of molesting an eight-year-old boy who had come to the hospital for treatment, an official said. The FIR has been filed on the basis of a complaint registered by the boy’s father.

The First Information Report has been filed under sections 377 (unnatural offence), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 511 (attempting to commit offence punishable with life imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code. The Juvenile Justice Act has also been invoked by the police.

According to sources, the Delhi Police is likely to interrogate the accused doctor Tuesday. The doctor appeared before a three-member fact-finding committee of AIIMS Monday.

According to AIIMS, the committee headed by head of department of endocrinology and metabolism, A.C. Ammini has been set up that will submit its report within seven days.

“The institute will take the harshest possible disciplinary action if anyone is found guilty,” said AIIMS’ public relations officer Y.K. Gupta.

Meanwhile, the concerned hospital has barred the accused doctor from attending the Out Patient Department pending the inquiry report.

The victim was a resident of northeast Delhi and was admitted to the neurosurgery ward for a brain tumour operation Jan 18.

He underwent surgery on Jan 20 and was scheduled to be discharged four days later. But, on Jan 24, the father submitted a complaint that his son had been sodomised by the doctor, the day before (Jan 23).

The complaint registered by the father said that the doctor took the child to the duty room Jan 23 evening, a day after he was operated upon, and abused him sexually. The victim’s father said his son would be able to identify the doctor by face.

The victim’s mother also claimed that she saw the accused doctor coming out of the room with her son allegedly after committing the act.

According to the parents, the doctor had told the boy to keep quiet and threatened him with dire consequences. But the boy narrated the incident to his father after returning home from hospital.

Upon receiving the formal complaint, AIIMS set up a three-member committee to look into the allegations.

The first meeting was held on Jan 28, where the victim and the parents were also called.

According to sources, the boy also underwent a psychological test, where he again repeated his story.

The committee has also questioned doctors, nurses and other staff who were on duty on Jan 23 night.

Even though the hospital authorities are not revealing the name of the junior doctor, sources say he has been unofficially asked not to report to duty. The accused is a final-year medical student. He was on night duty in the intensive care unit of AIIMS’ neurosurgery department.