4 min readNew DelhiDec 28, 2023 05:40 AM IST
First published on: Dec 28, 2023 at 05:40 AM IST
Months before a sexual harassment FIR was registered against three supervisors, along with a manager, at a Delhi government hospital after a complaint was filed by a sanitation worker last week, a similar FIR had been registered against two of the supervisors in June by another sanitation worker.
In the new complaint lodged on December 19, the four men working in the North Delhi hospital have been accused of seeking sexual favours from the woman over the phone.
In the June FIR, the two supervisors were booked under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). According to Delhi Police sources, they are looking into the previous molestation case.
Speaking to The Indian Express, the woman who lodged the first complaint alleged the accused would threaten her to have sexual relations with them if she wanted to keep her job.
On June 6, the woman claimed while she was distributing uniforms to sanitation workers, two supervisors tried to force themselves on her and when she resisted, the three assaulted her. While the woman managed to escape, she claimed the incident was recorded on CCTV. “It was very traumatic… I have not been able to sleep for months. No action was taken against the culprits and I don’t think anything will happen now. They would also make rounds of my house to keep track of me,” she alleged.
A member of the Safai Kamgar Union alleged that In July, the contract of the two supervisors ended along with that of the company hiring sanitation workers. However, after a new company got the tender to hire sanitation workers for the hospital, the supervisors were rehired, she alleged.
When contacted, Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ashish Goyal remained unavailable for comment on whether the supervisors were suspended after the incident.
According to the woman’s brother-in-law, they got an FIR registered on the same day that the incident happened. “We also went to Tis Hazari court to record our statements but after that, nothing happened,” he claimed.
The woman claimed she also visited the Delhi Commission of Women office several times but was not given any help.
Responding to the allegations, the DCW said it took up the matter with relevant authorities. “The Commission remains dedicated to assisting every woman who seeks our support. In this case, too, we took up the matter with relevant authorities to address it effectively. DCW has also issued summons to the hospital authorities,” it said.
The woman says nobody supported her then but she now has hope with fellow sanitation workers staging a protest, under the banner of Safai Kamgar Union, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the woman who filed the new complaint said this was her first job and it has now become a challenge for her to work again anywhere. “They have been troubling us since December 14 when we joined. They said if we want to continue with the job, we will have to make them happy and bring other women too,” she alleged.
Police have initiated an investigation in this case and are looking into audio clips which the woman has submitted, in which the accused men can allegedly be heard asking for sexual favours. Police also asked the hospital to submit evidence on record.
Police have initiated an investigation in this case and are looking into audio clips which the woman has submitted, in which the accused men can allegedly be heard asking for sexual favours. Police also asked the hospital to submit evidence on record. 
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