The Bombay High Court has rejected the pre-arrest (anticipatory) bail application of Dr. Ravindra Deokar, a senior doctor at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital, who is accused of molesting six junior women doctors.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has refused to give anticipatory bail to Dr. Ravindra Deokar, a senior doctor at Mumbai’s civic-run KEM Hospital, who has been accused of molesting six junior women doctors. The Court said that the “emotional and psychological trauma” suffered by the victims must be taken into account.
Dr. Deokar is an Additional Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at KEM Hospital. He had filed for anticipatory bail after multiple women working as assistant professors accused him of inappropriate behavior. The allegations include touching them wrongly and making offensive comments.
On May 8, Justice Rajesh Patil passed the order denying bail. The judge observed that Deokar had used his high position in the hospital to misbehave with women doctors for a long time. He said many did not come forward earlier out of fear for their careers and due to trauma.
The court expressed concern that granting him bail could lead to further harm. “If Deokar is granted anticipatory bail, there is every likelihood he would take revenge against all the complainant victims, and there is also a high chance that he would repeat the same act,” the Court said.
The Court stressed the importance of protecting women’s dignity and ensuring workplace safety, especially in hospitals.
“Eventually, one has to consider the emotional and psychological harm caused to the victims who are pursuing their medical courses, and considering the safety in a workplace like a hospital, and to morally and legally protect women’s dignity, the present pre-arrest bail application requires to be rejected,” the bench noted.
The Bhoiwada police have registered a case against Dr. Deokar under relevant sections of law. After the case was filed, he was suspended by the hospital administration.
In his defense, Dr. Deokar told the court that the allegations were false and motivated by “personal grudge and internal hospital politics.” However, the court did not accept this argument.
ALSO READ: Bombay High Court Rejects Bail for POCSO Accused, Citing Familial Ties to Victim Girls
Importantly, the court pointed out that Dr. Deokar was himself a member of the hospital’s internal complaints committee under the POSH Act (Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act).
“This is a case where the allegations are against a doctor who is a member of the POSH committee of inappropriate behaviour with female doctors, by not one, but six persons,” the judge said.
The court also mentioned that this was not the first time such allegations were made against him.
“This is also not the first time such a complaint has been raised against Deokar,” the court said, adding that a similar complaint had been filed by a woman doctor in 2021.
Justice Patil clarified that Deokar had only been suspended, not permanently removed from his job.
“Therefore, if he succeeds in the proceedings initiated against him for suspension, there is likelihood that he will come back to the hospital and resume his duty,” he said.
The Court further said that even medical students have now started approaching the police with complaints of inappropriate conduct by Deokar. This shows a larger pattern of misconduct, making the Court’s decision even more necessary.
