More than 40 students have levelled sexual harassment allegations against one Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain of Madurai Government Hospital.
Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain is a senior Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Madurai Government Hospital.
Students studying B.Sc in Operation Theatre and Anesthesiology complained to the college authorities on 6 May 2023 stating that Dr. Syed Hussain was constantly harassing them sexually. An enquiry committee was formed as per Supreme Court mandated Vishaka guidelines.
According to Dean S Rathnavel, an eight-member Visaka Committee conducted an investigation after the complaints were received. 18 female students, one nurse, 2 senior students and 2 teachers were interrogated and written statements were obtained from them.
They alleged that Dr. Syed Hussain misbehaved in the operation theatre by touching them at inappropriate places and making sexual innuendos. He also allegedly made students to remove their masks in the operation theatre putting the patients at risk of infection. If students didn’t remove the masks, he himself reportedly removed it from their faces.
He also made inappropriate and racist remarks on a fair-skinned girl saying that her parents have done “good deeds”.
He is said to have pulled the hair of girl students casually and made comments like “you look beautiful, your hair is nice, your eyebrows are done well”.
Not just students, even patients were sexually harassed by Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain say reports.
Taking cognizance of the complaint and written statements submitted to Vishaka Committee, the Director of Madurai Medical College has suspended Dr. Syed Hussain.
However, Dr. Syed Tahir Hussain has denied the allegation claiming to be innocent and that the suspension has been done in haste.
He said that this has been done out of vendetta as he claims to have confronted the irregularities in transfers and promotions that happened during the previous rule.
He also claimed that one of the student who was injured and whom he and treated was coerced to give a statement against him.
Many on social media have questioned the silence of The News Media and similar media outlets that had gone gaga over sexual harassment allegations in Kalakshetra Foundation.
Let's see the crowd which went for woman safety for Kalashetra go here and conduct PR.
And 41 woman students have complained against Siad Thakor Hussain. pic.twitter.com/vbFh0WrcNi
— Indu Makkal Katchi (Offl) 🇮🇳 (@Indumakalktchi) May 22, 2023
(With inputs from Dinamalar and The Hindu Tamil)