Police looking for six men who ‘gang-raped’ patient at SIUT

SIUT refutes patient’s claim, says CCTV footage shows nothing happened

Karachi

Police are looking for the six men who allegedly raped a female patient at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation on Thursday night but the hospital’s administration has denied that the incident occurred saying that the footage of the CCTV cameras installed there showed that nothing had happened.

The Eidgah police said a 24-year old woman, H*, alleged that on Thursday night, she was subjected to gang rape by six men when she was waiting at the hospital’s ward for dialysis.

The police said the woman, who had arrived from Hyderabad and was a kidney patient, was under treatment at the hospital.

On her complaint, they registered an FIR under section 376/34 pertaining to the charges of gang rape.

Following the complaint of the woman, she was taken to the Sindh Services Hospital for a medical examination and the medico-legal officer confirmed that she was subjected to sexual assault.

“The medical examination of the woman proved that she was gang raped. Her father has nominated six people and we are investigating the matter,” Eidgah SHO Naeemuddin told The News.

He said the police had acquired the footage of the CCTV cameras installed at the hospital and reviewing it to identify the men.

The officer said the police had found some leads and they were working on them.

The SIUT administration, however, denied that the incident took place.

A SIUT spokesperson said the hospital’s top officials had reviewed the in-house CCTV footage along with the police officers investigating the case.

“The woman remained visible in the footage throughout her stay at the SIUT except for three minutes when she went to the washroom. The washroom door is also visible in the footage,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said this was a “clear-cut attempt” by some “malicious forces” to tarnish the institute’s image.

The spokesperson also offered to the media to view the in-house CCTV recording.

“The society at large is fully aware if the services which the SIUT offers and its firm commitment to the sanctity and dignity of human beings,” he added.

Last month, a sweeper was arrested by police for trying to molest the mother of a child undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Child Health. 

— * Name withheld for privacy