For the nurses, the police said that they do not have the requisite medical certificates to practice. A SESSIONS court in Wardha rejected the bail applications of doctors Niraj and Rekha Kadam booked for allegedly carrying out an abortion on a 13-year-old rape victim, who was five months pregnant at Kadam Hospital.
The bail pleas of the two were rejected on Friday. They were booked last month after a complaint was received from the minor’s parents. The probe also led to the recovery of 54 bones and 12 skulls from the hospital premises.
Police have filed a separate FIR under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to criminal breach of trust and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act and Environment Protection Act.
In the first FIR, the sessions court recently also rejected the bail applications of two nurses at the hospital, who were booked for helping with the termination of pregnancy of the 13-year-old. The nurses, Sangita Kale and Puja Dahat had filed for bail stating that they were falsely implicated and that their signatures were taken on blank papers and at most a case of destruction of evidence can be made against them.
Police had opposed bail to the accused stating that the investigation is still in progress and witness statements are still to be recorded. For the nurses, the police said that they do not have the requisite medical certificates to practice.
The court said that the nurses were on duty on the day of the incident that happened in January according to the records. It also said that Kale had given tablets to the victim for termination of her pregnancy.
“Considering the nature of their work in the medical field, the applicants (nurses) have knowledge of medicines and consequences of administering said medicines. Therefore, it was expected to take proper care and precaution when applicants were aware of the fact that the minor victim is aged about 13 years and is five months is pregnant. The life of the victim was at risk due to the administration of medicine,” the court said.
The court said that the charges of non-reporting of an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, disappearance and disposal of evidence by disposing of the foetus is a serious offence.
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