The Circle Medical Officer of a Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Samayanallur here was arrested on Monday on charges of sexually harassing staff nurses during duty hours.
According to police department sources, Dr Syed Abdul Kader (40) of Madurai, who was working as the Circle Medical Officer at the PHC in Sathyamurthi Nagar in Samayanallur, was arrested under sections 294 b (scolding using filthy language), 354 (a) (sexual harassment) of the IPC based on the complaint filed by Ramila (name changed), a staff nurse in the hospital.
In her complaint, Ramila had alleged that Syed Abdul Kader used double entendre during his conversations and would often demand that she sit beside him during duty hours in his room. She also complained that the doctor would ask her to fetch things from the loft and watch her climb on the table or chair near him besides ogling her.
During the inquiry by a police team comprising District Superintendent of Police Kantha Swaroopan and Inspector Karthikeyan, staff nurses Paappulakshmi, Yoga Lakshmi and Subbu Lakshmi told the police that the doctor used to scold them in indecent language.
However, police claimed that a section of the PHC employees defended the doctor saying that the nurses were making such allegations as he had directed them to work hard.
They had also told police not to arrest Kader without strong evidence.
Deputy Director of Health Services, Madurai, Dr S Senthil Kumar said that they would conduct an inquiry and take departmental action against the doctor.
Earlier, several nurses along with members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) staged a demonstration against the doctor and demanded his immediate arrest.
Nurses and AIDWA members were also said to have detained the doctor in his room by locking him up.