The Hindu : Rape case: MCH staff found guilty of dereliction of duty

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Rape case: MCH staff found guilty of dereliction of duty

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE APRIL. 10. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has found R. Krishnan and K. Rakhi, former Superintendent and nurse respectively of the Kozhikode Medical College (MCH), guilty of dereliction of duty in connection with the alleged rape of a burn-injury victim at the hospital last year.

The Commission member, T. K. Wilson, who held a sitting here today, told presspersons that it had asked the State Government to realise Rs. 25,000 each from both Dr. Krishnan and Ms. Rakhi and hand over the amount to the victim.

The report which had been ratified by the Commission chairman, M. M. Pareed Pillay, and the other member, S. Balaraman, has also been sent to the Health and Family Welfare Secretary, K. Ramamoorthy. It holds both Dr. Krishnan and Ms. Rakhi responsible for allowing a male-outsider to bathe a woman patient inside the hospital on July 12, 2002.

Mr. Wilson said that the contention of Dr. Krishnan that he was not responsible for the bathing-incident that led to the alleged rape could not be justified. His statement also led to the conclusion that he accepted the post of Superintendent only to get the honorary benefits out of that post, he said.

He said that Dr. Krishnan's explanation that he was on leave on the particular day when the alleged incident took place could also not be accepted. The Commission had examined three witnesses, including the additional superintendent, Varghese Thomas, on October 7, 2002, to ascertain who was responsible for allowing a male-outsider to clean the wounds of a woman patient inside the bathroom of the hospital.

Dr. Varghese Thomas, who had deposed before the Commission, had stated that Dr. Krishnan was de facto in charge of the hospital on July 12. Records showed that Dr. Krishnan was on leave only from July 15 to July 27. It was a customary practice for the next in the hierarchy to be informed when the Superintendent went on leave, he had said.

Mr. Wilson, who had issued summons to the authorities of the MCH on the alleged incident in August 2002, also said the Commission had inquired who was actually responsible for allowing a male outsider to bathe the woman patient. And which department was entrusted with the task of cleaning the wounds. The Commission was interested in the incident relating to the outraging the dignity of a woman. It was for the police to probe the other aspects of the case, including the alleged rape incident, he said.

The Commission member said that Dr. Krishnan had submitted a comprehensive report to the Commission in the first week of September. The notices had been issued on September 16. Dr. Krishnan had also deposed before the Commission in this regard.

The then Thrissur Medical College principal, Lily Rajeevan, who conducted a departmental inquiry, had also indicted the lapses of the hospital personnel. She submitted a report to the Director of Health Services, V. K. Rajan, in this regard.

The Police Department had recommended to the Principal Secretary (Home and Vigilance), N. Ramakrishnan, to initiate a probe into the charges of dereliction of duty of the hospital staff. The police had written to the Home Department seeking an inquiry into the role of some doctors and nurses and other administrative staff in destroying the evidence in connection with the alleged incident.

Police investigations revealed that the accused in the alleged rape case, Subramanian, who is a non-employee of the hospital, had marked the attendance register on behalf of his father, Prakashan, a daily wage earner, while he was undergoing a week-long treatment for duodenal ulcer at the hospital.

It was detected that the medical records of the victim was also tampered with to rescue the accused. One of the them was a document on the bath given to the patient. It was signed by Elsy Joseph, the bystander of the rape victim in ward 23 of the hospital. But deliberate corrections were made after the alleged rape incident became a serious issue and the investigations progressed. The time of bath - 8 a.m. - was inserted in the original records. But it was actually recorded that the alleged rape incident took place at around 1 p.m. while the accused was cleaning the wounds of the women-patient in the bathroom.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Hooch kills four near Kollam

Ghulam Nabi arriving as poll observer

CPI(M) may help Karunakaran

'Karunakaran should not have been hurt'

Amendment to Central Act needed: Kuttappan

Rival factions sharpen strategies

CPI not to seek Cong. help to oppose BJP

Rape case: MCH staff found guilty of dereliction of duty