Probe on into alleged gang rape at Hyderabad hospital

Hyderabad, Aug 18 (IANS) One of the two women who went missing after the alleged gang rape at the government-run Gandhi Hospital here remained untraced, police said on Wednesday.

A police team continued search for the 40-year-old woman, whose younger sister lodged a complaint with the police two day ago that an employee of the hospital allegedly raped them.

Police were scanning CCTV footage around the hospital premises. Since the woman is said to be a habitual drinker, police were also trying to collect footage from CCTV cameras near liquor shops.

Meanwhile, police continued questioning the four suspects arrested in the case, which has shocked the largest state-run healthcare facility in the state.

Accused Uma Maheswar and the security guard both denied raping the women. Police also grilled two other suspects, as they sought to ascertain the veracity of the complainant's statement and find out if she and her sister were sexually assaulted as claimed by her.

The 38-year-old woman, in her complaint lodged with Chilkalguda police station, alleged that a lab technician confined her in a dark room, drugged her and raped her for four days. She told police that accused Maheswar's friend also raped her in the room.

The victim alleged that the lab technician also raped her elder sister, whose whereabouts are not known.

The complainant told police that she had come to the hospital along with elder sister and brother-in-law. The 45-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with liver and kidney-related complications on August 5. According to the complainant, he was discharged on August 13.

The patient returned home with his son but his wife and sister-in-law were found missing. The patient's son returned to the hospital in search of his mother and aunt. He found his aunt, who narrated to him how Maheswar sexually assaulted her. She later approached the police.

Taking a serious note of the incident, Home Minister Mahmood Ali directed Hyderabad police to conduct a comprehensive investigation.

Excise Minister V. Srinivas Goud, who hails from Mahabubnagar, and Telangana State Women Commission Chairperson Sunitha Laxma Reddy visited the hospital and spoke to officials about the incident.

Meanwhile, Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr Raja Rao reiterated that there was no scope for such an incident to have occurred in the hospital premises. He said the police investigations were on into the incident while a committee formed by the hospital was also conducting an internal inquiry. He said the lab technician has been suspended pending inquiry.

The official said that since 189 out of 209 CCTV cameras were functioning in the hospital and it has adequate number of security guards and a police outpost, there was no scope for such an incident to occur.