The arrest was made after one of the survivors filed a formal police complaint. The incident has sparked local protests and a political dispute, with the BJP alleging the accused had political protection, a claim the ruling TMC has strongly denied.
Kolkata: A facility manager at Panskura Super Specialty Hospital in West Bengal has been arrested on charges of repeatedly raping several women employees and threatening to kill them if they spoke out. According to police, the accused, identified as Zahir Abbas Khan, allegedly summoned contractual ward attendants to his office and sexually assaulted them. Survivors also alleged that he threatened to either kill them or have them removed from their jobs if they filed complaints. The matter came to light after one of the attendants lodged a formal complaint at the Panskura police station. Zahir Abbas Khan was taken into custody soon after and is expected to be presented in court later today. Officials said the women have demanded the harshest possible punishment for him. Hospital authorities have so far not commented on the case. Meanwhile, locals gathered outside the police station, staging protests against the incident.
BJP Says Accused Enjoy Political Immunity
The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the accused enjoyed political protection, indirectly accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Responding to the charge, TMC leaders distanced the party from Khan, calling him a “fraud” who misused the party’s name for personal benefit. TMC’s Sheikh Samir Uddin condemned the crime as “shameful” and pressed for strict punishment. The arrest comes against the backdrop of a similar case last year in Kolkata, when a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College. That case, which triggered nationwide protests, was transferred to the CBI after court intervention. However, the victim’s parents continue to express dissatisfaction with the investigation and recently held a protest march that ended in clashes with police.