Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A male nurse of a private hospital, located in Vijay Nagar area, has been arrested for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old girl patient. The accused has been booked by the police under the relevant sections of molestation and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the hospital's High Dependency Unit (HDU). The victim, a resident of Ujjain, has been receiving treatment for a heart condition at the hospital since December 22. She told the police that she was moved to the HDU at midnight on Tuesday. A male nurse, identified as Arvind Pindaria of Dewas, allegedly told her to sleep and turned off the lights.

The girl's mother was also present in the room at the time. The victim told the police that Pindaria returned later, asking if she had stomach pain. After she denied having any pain, he allegedly touched her stomach and chest. She attempted to push him away, but he evaded her. He then allegedly assaulted her lips after which the girl raised an alarm, waking her mother.

The accused was found standing near the victim and the victim’s mother told the police that the incident took place at around 3 am. The girl’s family members alleged that Pindaria approached the girl under the pretence of conducting an examination, first drawing the curtains around her bed.

They also stated that the trauma of the incident caused the girl's heart rate to spike and she began sweating profusely.

Later, the victim's family protested and vandalised parts of the hospital, alleging that hospital management initially attempted to shield the accused. Meanwhile, the hospital management said, "We are taking the matter seriously. The accused has been handed over to the police. We are also investigating this entire matter thoroughly at our level. All necessary steps will be taken to ensure that such an incident does not recur."