Jammu, Aug 27 (PTI) The authorities on Thursday dismissed a sanitation worker from service at a district hospital in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar after his arrest in an alleged conspiracy to conceal sexual assault and termination of pregnancy of a 15-year-old tribal girl, officials said.
Police arrested the accused, a daily-wager employed as a sweeper at the hospital, on Wednesday after he was named as an accused in the case, prompting the hospital authorities to terminate his service with immediate effect.
“Police informed us yesterday about his arrest, and today he has been dismissed from service,” Medical Superintendent Yudhveer Singh Kotwal told reporters.
Kotwal, who issued the termination order, said Ahmed’s continuation in service was considered incompatible with the discipline, integrity and functioning of a public health institution in view of the serious nature of the allegations and offences involved.
Kotwal clarified that Ahmed has been dismissed from service, and not suspended.
Asked if the minor girl had been admitted to the hospital and other details of the case, Kotwal declined to comment, saying the matter is under police investigation.
“I do not want to say anything that could influence the investigation. The probe is underway and we are cooperating with the police,” he said.
The 15-year-old tribal girl was allegedly sexually assaulted repeatedly by a teacher at her school over several months, resulting in her pregnancy.
She later died following an alleged attempt to terminate the pregnancy in the Chatroo area, officials said.
Police arrested the government teacher and his brother on August 20.
A special investigation team (SIT) headed by Additional SP Pardeep Singh was constituted to conduct a time-bound investigation into the matter.
During the investigation, police alleged that the teacher sexually assaulted the girl repeatedly, resulting in her pregnancy.
The teacher, in conspiracy with his brother, administered medicines purportedly to terminate the pregnancy, police said.
The accused first took the girl to a public health centre in Chatroo. Later, she was shifted to the district hospital in Kishtwar, allegedly in connivance with the accused sweeper, police said.
She delivered a stillborn and subsequently died.
The SIT has arrested three persons, including the sweeper, for their alleged role in concealing the sexual assault and terminating the minor’s pregnancy, taking the total number of arrests to five. PTI AB ARI
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