Dhanbad, March 6: In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through Jharkhand, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly drugged and raped inside the premises of a prominent hospital on the evening of Holi. The survivor was found locked in a bathroom, bearing signs of extreme physical struggle, hours after being coerced into meeting her assailant.
The Ambush and Coercion
The ordeal began on Wednesday morning, March 4, when the victim was intercepted by a neighbor identified as Deepak Munda (alias Ajay) while she was visiting a local shop. According to police reports, Munda, who has a history of harassing the minor, allegedly blocked her path and issued a chilling ultimatum: meet him at the Central Hospital Outpatient Department (OPD) or face dire consequences.
Driven by fear for her safety, the teenager arrived at the hospital as instructed. It was here that the meeting took a violent turn. When the victim resisted Munda’s advances, he reportedly used a cloth laced with a potent narcotic to overpower her.
Brutality Behind Locked Doors
The victim narrated a harrowing account of regaining consciousness in a state of disorientation. “When she regained consciousness, she was locked in a bathroom. Her body was covered in bruises and her clothes were in disarray,” officials stated, citing the complaint.
The survivor’s screams eventually alerted a bystander, who opened the locked bathroom door. The victim then used the woman’s mobile phone to contact her family. Descriptions from the scene paint a grim picture of the assault, with reports noting that the girl’s clothes were torn and she bore multiple bite marks across her body.
Police Action and Institutional Probe
The Saraidhela Police have registered a formal case and have launched an intensive search for the accused, who remains at large. Investigating officers are currently scanning CCTV footage from the Central Hospital to map the movements of the suspect and verify the sequence of events.
The victim is presently receiving medical care and psychological support at SNMMCH.
The incident has also raised serious questions regarding security protocols at the medical facility. In response, the BCCL management has constituted a high-level committee to investigate how such a heinous crime was perpetrated within the hospital premises and to identify potential security lapses.
