HC says doctor’s touch not improper, acquits him
TNN | Feb 6, 2018, 05:21 IST
TIMES OF INDIA
MUMBAI: Two years after a doctor was accused by a female patient of inappropriately touching her, the Bombay high court recently struck down sexual harassment charges against the medical practitioner. The woman, who was suffering from a nerve problem on her right and left hand, had alleged that the doctor had touched her on the hands and shoulders.
"...we are of the opinion that whatever was done by the doctor was appropriate to the medical situation," said a division bench of acting chief justice Vijaya Kapse Tahilramani and Justice Makarand Karnik. "It cannot be said that the conduct of the doctor was something which in the given facts and circumstances no medical professional in his ordinary senses and prudence would have done... looking to the medical complaint with which the complainant lady approached the doctor, it was necessary for him to hold her hands and to touch her shoulders," said the bench. The court also pointed out that the complainant's young son as well as a woman compounder was present at the time of the medical examination.
The woman had visited the clinic, along with her son on April 29, 2016, and claimed that she had a problem with her nerves in the right and left hand. In her complaint, she said that the doctor made her sit on the examination table and told her to hold his fingers with both her hands, which she did. He then pressed her hands as well as shoulders. Subsequently, he told her that Vitamin D3 and D12 injections had to be given to her hip. She said that she did not feel that the doctor's touch was appropriate and therefore lodged the first information report at Navghar police station. The doctor was charged for offences under the Indian Penal Code including of outraging a woman's modesty (section 354), physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures (section 354A). If convicted he faces a jail term of up to three years.
A report from the police hospital in Nagpada, sought by the prosecution, opined that check up done by the doctor which required him to touch her on the shoulders and hip as well as injections on the hip was appropriate for the woman's medical complaint. An expert Medical Committee consisting of three doctors of Sir J.J. Hospital also had a similar finding. "We are of the view that no offence is made out," the bench held. It cited a Supreme Court judgement which said that when allegations in the FIR are not supported by evidence, then such an FIR could be quashed.
TNN | Feb 6, 2018, 05:21 IST
TIMES OF INDIA
MUMBAI: Two years after a doctor was accused by a female patient of inappropriately touching her, the Bombay high court recently struck down sexual harassment charges against the medical practitioner. The woman, who was suffering from a nerve problem on her right and left hand, had alleged that the doctor had touched her on the hands and shoulders.
"...we are of the opinion that whatever was done by the doctor was appropriate to the medical situation," said a division bench of acting chief justice Vijaya Kapse Tahilramani and Justice Makarand Karnik. "It cannot be said that the conduct of the doctor was something which in the given facts and circumstances no medical professional in his ordinary senses and prudence would have done... looking to the medical complaint with which the complainant lady approached the doctor, it was necessary for him to hold her hands and to touch her shoulders," said the bench. The court also pointed out that the complainant's young son as well as a woman compounder was present at the time of the medical examination.
The woman had visited the clinic, along with her son on April 29, 2016, and claimed that she had a problem with her nerves in the right and left hand. In her complaint, she said that the doctor made her sit on the examination table and told her to hold his fingers with both her hands, which she did. He then pressed her hands as well as shoulders. Subsequently, he told her that Vitamin D3 and D12 injections had to be given to her hip. She said that she did not feel that the doctor's touch was appropriate and therefore lodged the first information report at Navghar police station. The doctor was charged for offences under the Indian Penal Code including of outraging a woman's modesty (section 354), physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures (section 354A). If convicted he faces a jail term of up to three years.
A report from the police hospital in Nagpada, sought by the prosecution, opined that check up done by the doctor which required him to touch her on the shoulders and hip as well as injections on the hip was appropriate for the woman's medical complaint. An expert Medical Committee consisting of three doctors of Sir J.J. Hospital also had a similar finding. "We are of the view that no offence is made out," the bench held. It cited a Supreme Court judgement which said that when allegations in the FIR are not supported by evidence, then such an FIR could be quashed.
. நடைபெறும் ஊழல் அல்ல. கடந்த பத்து வருடங்களாகப் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களில் ஊழல் நடைபெற்றுவருகிறது. அதனைக் கண்காணித்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்று பலமுறை புகார் மனுவை ஆளுநருக்கு அனுப்பி இருக்கிறேன். ஆனால், இதுவரை அந்தக் கடிதத்தின்மீது எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கவில்லை. கணபதி ஒருவர் மட்டுமே ஊழல் செய்துவிடவில்லை. நிறைய துணைவேந்தர்கள் ஊழல்வாதிகளாக இருக்கிறார்கள். அவர்களைக் களையெடுக்க வேண்டிய சூழல் தற்போது உருவாகியுள்ளது. கணபதியின் வழக்கை மையமாகவைத்தே அனைத்துப் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களையும் கண்காணிக்கக் குழு அமைக்க வேண்டும். அதுமட்டுமின்றி, துணைவேந்தர்களைத் தேர்வுசெய்யக்கூடிய பல்கலைகழகத் தேர்வுக் கமிட்டியில் நேர்மையான ஆட்களை நியமிக்க வேண்டும்.தேர்வுக் கமிட்டியில் இருப்பவர்களே ஊழல்வாதிகளாக இருக்கிறார்கள். அப்படி இருக்கும்போது, எப்படி நேர்மையான துணைவேந்தர்களை அவர்கள் தேர்வுசெய்வார்கள்? _17232.jpg)
குறிப்பாக ஆளுநருக்கு நெருக்கமானவரா... கோடிக்கணக்கில் பணம் கொடுப்பாரா... அதிகாரவர்க்கத்தில் இவருடைய செல்வாக்கு எந்த நிலையில் உள்ளது என்பது போன்ற தகுதிகள்தான் இன்றைய துணைவேந்தர்களின் தகுதியாகப் பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. கோடிக்கணக்கில் பணத்தைக் கொடுத்துவிட்டுப் பதவிக்கு வரும் அந்த நபர்கள், கொடுத்த பணத்தை எடுக்கும் வேலையைத்தான் பல்கலைக்கழகங்களில் செய்கிறார்களே தவிர, கல்விக் கட்டமைப்பை மேம்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்று அவர்கள் எண்ணுவதில்லை.தேர்வுக் கமிட்டியும் எந்த விதிமுறையும் இல்லாமல்தான் இயங்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. 
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அடங்கிவிடுகிறது எனும்போது, விருப்பப்பட்ட விமானத்தில் செல்கிறோம் என்று கூறினால்... வசதியற்ற பயணிகளும் கூடுதலாக 2 லட்ச ரூபாய் வரை செலவு செய்ய வேண்டியிருக்குமே?' என்ற கேள்விக்கு, பதில் தந்தார், புதுக்கோட்டை மாவட்டம், அம்மாபட்டினத்தைச் சேர்ந்த இப்ராஹிம் ஜே.இ, ''நான் ஹஜ் கமிட்டி மூலமாக அங்கே சென்று வந்திருக்கிறேன். அவர்களும் சிறப்பான ஏற்பாடுகளைத்தான் செய்வார்கள். ஆனால், சிற்சில சிரமங்கள் இருக்கத்தான் செய்யும். அதை நாம்தான் சமாளிக்க வேண்டும். உதாரணமாக உள்ளூர் போக்குவரத்துக்குச் சமயத்தில் கூடுதலாகச் செலவு செய்யவேண்டியதுகூட வரலாம். ஆனால், தனியார் மூலமாகச் செல்லும்போது, அவர்கள் கூடுதலாகப் பணம் வசூலிப்பதால் சிரமமில்லாமல் போய்விடும். 
