Woman faints during Puja, raped by doc in ICU

NAVI MUMBAI: A visit to a Durga Puja pandal led to a nightmarish rape ordeal for a 30-year-old married woman in Vashi. The Bengali devotee, who had gone to the pandal on the premises of ICL School in Sector 15 on Saturday night, fainted when the festivities were going on and was admitted to Lotus Hospital in the vicinity where she was raped by the doctor on duty.

The Vashi police have arrested the 26-year-old resident medical officer (RMO), Dr Vishal Vanne, who reportedly raped the semi-conscious woman inside the intensive care unit of the hospital.

The investigating officer, inspector Rajkumar Chaphekar, told TOI, "The accused doctor, Vanne, who specialises in ayurveda and stays in Ghansoli, took advantage of the woman's helpless situation which was caused by low BP, and raped her on her ICU bed between 2 am and 5 am."

Chaphekar added that the female patient could comprehend that she was being violated, but due to her semi-conscious state could not cry out for help. A patient lying on the adjoining bed was fast asleep when the crime took place, while the woman's husband was sleeping in another part of the hospital.

"From initial questioning, we have come to know that the accused was employed at Lotus Hospital since last December. He has admitted to the crime, and we have also collected forensic data from the victim's clothes and bed as evidence," said Chaphekar.

Vanne will be produced before the local court on Monday, added the IO.

The zonal deputy commissioner of police, Ashok Dudhe, said that the police acted immediately on the complaint early on Sunday morning, after the devastated woman managed to tell her husband about it.

"Under the guidance of DCP Dudhe and ACP Purshottam Karad, we immediately started our investigations and quickly nabbed the accused, thus preventing a law and order situation in the locality," said Chaphekar.

Other senior medical employees of Lotus Hospital are also being questioned to know why the security was so lapse in a critical unit like the ICU. The hospital has been in existence for the last two years.

When TOI called up the hospital to speak to its representative, this correspondent was told that none were available for comment, as they all had been summoned by the Vashi police.