Bhubaneswar: A nurse employed at Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) allegedly attempted to end her life by jumping in front of a moving train on Friday, following prolonged harassment and blackmail by a doctor and fellow staff members.
The victim has been identified as Santoshi Mallick (50), a resident of the Dhusuri area in Bhadrak district.
According to reports, Santoshi left the hospital during her duty hours and reached Bhadrak railway station around 4 pm on Friday, intending to take her own life. She sustained severe head injuries after attempting to jump in front of a speeding train.
Fortunately, personnel from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) acted swiftly, rescuing her from the tracks and rushing her to Bhadrak DHH. Due to the seriousness of her injuries, she was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Her condition remains critical.
“The government nurse (Didi) refused to let me use the bathroom and in the health department, she was unprofessional. Dr. Amulya Das raped me,” said the victim Santoshi.
“She was denied access to the hospital’s toilet by the matron. If a man faces such a situation, he can manage outside. But what is a woman supposed to do in such circumstances?” questioned Nikunja Mallick, Santoshi’s husband.
He further alleged that his wife had been blackmailed over personal photographs by a doctor and two other nurses, causing her immense mental distress.
One of the accused Dr Amulya Kumar Das denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and false.”
“No, I have not misbehaved. These are baseless and false accusations,” he stated.
Taking serious note of the incident, Bhadrak Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM\&PHO) Dr Sudhanshu Sekhar Bal said a detailed inquiry has been initiated.
“Considering the sensitivity of the matter, a full investigation is underway,” he stated.
Additionally, Bhadrak Additional District Magistrate Saroj Kumar Dutta stated, “Based on Santoshi’s allegations, action is being taken. The two nurses named in the complaint will be transferred from their current ward duties and reassigned elsewhere until the investigation concludes.”
