Third accused arrested in racial harassment of Nagaland woman doctor in AIIMS-Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur (UP), Feb 24 (PTI) Police on Tuesday said that the third accused has been arrested in connection with the alleged racial harassment and assault of a woman doctor from Nagaland posted at AIIMS-Gorakhpur.

The accused, identified as Aditya Rao, from Rampur Khas village in Deoria district, was arrested on Tuesday, police said in a statement. Two other accused, Suraj Gupta and Amit Vishwakarma, both from Deoria, were arrested on Monday.

The victim, a third-year resident doctor, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, had alleged that the three men followed her for nearly 1.5 kilometre on Sunday evening as she was returning to the campus from a mall.

According to the complainant, the men allegedly hurled obscene remarks and racial slurs at her and accosted her near Gate No.2 of the institute, close to the Army Camp.

One of the accused allegedly removed his shirt to intimidate her, while another touched her inappropriately. She raised an alarm, following which the three fled the spot, police said.

The National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS and INIs (NAFORD) took to social media to highlight the incident, noting the "deep shock, humiliation and trauma" faced by the resident doctor.

The federation said the three men used racially discriminatory comments and stereotypes regarding her northeastern origin.

"She tried to confront them, but instead they stalked and followed her on the road toward AIIMS Gate No 2, hurling abuses and slangs. One of them deliberately removed his shirt to intimidate. Near the army camp at Gate No 2, one man suddenly slapped her on the buttocks," the federation alleged in a post on X.

"This left deep shock, humiliation and trauma on our resident doctor. As a doctor dedicated to women's health and bringing new life, she was violated near her own institution," it added.

Later, in a statement (on Monday), police said that on the night of February 22, when the victim was coming out of Orion Mall, three men made obscene remarks at her and, at Gate No 2 of AIIMS Hospital, they misbehaved with the plaintiff.

When she protested, the accused abused her and threatened to kill her, the statement said.

Based on the complaint received in this regard, a case has been registered under sections 74 (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 296(a) (Obscene acts and songs), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the statement added. PTI COR NAV OZ OZ