Govt suspends doctor arrested for alleged sexual assault of house surgeon in TVM

Thiruvananthapuram: The Health Department on Saturday suspended the doctor accused of sexually assaulting a house surgeon at Nedumangad District Hospital. The suspension of Junior Consultant Binu N K came hours after his arrest earlier in the day.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when the doctor allegedly attempted to sexually assault a second-year house surgeon at his private clinic in Nedumangad.

In the suspension order, the Health Department said the doctor's conduct had "brought disrepute to the department and the government", considering his position as a responsible government employee and medical practitioner. It also noted that he had engaged in private practice during duty hours, which constituted prima facie serious misconduct.

Citing these grounds, the department suspended him under Rule 10 of the Kerala Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1960.

The suspension follows strong condemnation of the incident by Health Minister K Muraleedharan, who said the government would take action against the doctor.
"There is no doubt that action will be taken against the doctor. His track record is not very good, as far as I understand," the minister said.

He added that such incidents should never happen and that ensuring the safety of women doctors was the government's responsibility.