Man booked for rape attempt on nurse at primary health centre

According to the FIR lodged on Wednesday, the incident occurred late Tuesday when the woman had reported for duty at the PHC in the evening shift and was alone with her 18-month-old son.

The FIR stated that the accused accosted the woman when she had gone to the restroom to clean milk spilt on her dress. “When I saw (the accused) gasping for breath in front of me, I asked him what had happened to him. He instantly caught me in his grip with both hands and (made indecent demands)… I hit him with my left hand and tried to escape but he caught me again and lowered his pants trying to force himself upon me when I began screaming for help. Three people from the vicinity arrived to rescue me…,” the FIR quoted the woman as saying.

The woman further said that due to heavy rain and poor mobile network, she was unable to call her family and remained with the local residents.

The circle police inspector of the area said, “We have booked the accused for attempting to make physical contact and sexual harassment. We have initiated the process to apprehend him.”

The complainant’s husband said the onus of ensuring the safety of medical and paramedical staff lies with the government. In a statement, he said, “I had dropped off my wife at the PHC on the day… The accused, who lives close to the PHC, was aware that my wife was alone at the PHC with my son as the other help at the PHC had gone out to fetch something. It was raining heavily and there was no mobile network… so my wife could not even contact us…”

“It is our demand that the government must ensure that health centres are safe for women in medical and paramedical professions… after what has happened in Kolkata and now if a man could randomly walk into a PHC and attempt to rape my wife, what is the provision for safety of medical staff in such centres,” he added.