Sanathnagar ESIC Hospital canteen staffer held for sexual assault on patient’s sister

Hyderabad: A 25-year-old man was arrested on Friday for sexually assaulting a woman on the Sanathnagar ESIC Super Specialty Hospital premises. The accused is said to be working at the hospital canteen.

According to the police, the woman had come to the hospital to attend to her ailing brother when the incident happened. Two years ago, the victim’s brother suffered an injury due to an accident at his school. Following surgery at the ESIC hospital, he was discharged. However, he was readmitted on September 6 for extended medical care and the woman had been taking care of him since.

On September 15 evening, she went to the hospital canteen to get food. While she was returning using the hospital’s elevator, she met a security guard working for the hospital who later introduced her to Shadab, an employee in the canteen. The security guard offered to help her obtain items from the canteen for free, and Shadab even provided her with an egg to eat.

Then Shadab allegedly pressured the victim into sharing her phone number. Fearful and cornered, she complied with his demand. At 9 pm, he led her to an open area on the second floor, where he sexually assaulted her. The victim’s cries for help went unanswered. The police said that Shadab allegedly also forced her into a room used for blood samples, where he sexually assaulted her.

During the assault, the victim managed to seize Shadab’s phone and call her brother. Shadab ran away after her brother came. They informed about the attack to the hospital staff who immediately contacted the police. Shadab was subsequently taken into custody by the police. Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar Inspector PV Ramprasad Rao said a case has been registered and an investigation is on.