Kozhikode: A senior nursing officer at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, who was transferred for supporting the survivor in the ICU rape case, was not allowed to rejoin duty when she arrived at the institution on Tuesday. Despite producing a High Court order permitting PB Anitha to return to duty on April 1, the senior administrative officer, N Padmanabhan, insisted that she could not resume work without an order from the Director of Medical Education (DME).
In response, Anitha staged a protest in front of the Principal's office, with the survivor also showing up to offer support.
Anitha fell victim to political persecution after she reported against six women medical college employees, who threatened the rape survivor to change her statement. Subsequently, Anitha was transferred to the Idukki Medical College on grounds of giving contradictory statements. However, she challenged the transfer in the High Court, which stayed it, stating that she had not committed negligence or dereliction of duty deserving disciplinary action.
Despite arriving at the Kozhikode Medical College on April 1 with the court order, Anitha was barred from resuming duty. The college authorities claimed that neither the Principal nor the DME had received a copy of the court order. However, authorities concerned said that Anitha's application and a copy of the court order had been dispatched to the DME the previous day.
