The incident took place at the Kalwa hospital in Thane on Saturday night (Representative Image) | Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Thane: A cleaner employed at the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC)-run Kalwa hospital has been arrested for attempting to molest a 14-year-old girl inside the institution's intensive care unit (ICU). Identified as 39-year-old Dinesh Koli, the accused was caught red-handed by another patient occupying a bed adjacent to the girl who is a seizure patient being treated at the hospital.

Police officials familiar with the matter said that the incident took place around 12.30 am on Saturday when the victim's mother had tied the girl's hand to the bed after she was administered saline. He tied the girl's other hand to the bed and was trying to molest her when the patient occupying the bed adjacent to the victim's asked him what he was doing with the girl. The accused then tried to subdue the woman but she raised an alarm prompting nurses and other hospital officials to rush to the room.

A resident of Kopri, the accused was thrashed by hospital staff before being handed over to the Thane police. The victim's father, a resident of Kalyan told Times of India that the presence of mind shown by the female patient who lay adjacent to the girl led to his daughter's timely rescue.

Investigating officer Ganesh Mugle told Times of India that the accused has been remanded to judicial custody after a day in police custody. Responding to the incident, hospital medical superintendent Rajiv Korde said that the contractor has been told to dismiss the accused. Appropriate security measures have been taken to ensure no such untoward incidents happen in the future, he added.

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