‘Care giver turns predator’: OT technician arrested for ‘raping’ patient in Karimnagar private hospital

An operation theatre (OT) technician was arrested by the Karimnagar three-town police on Tuesday in connection with the brutal rape of a female patient at a private hospital in Karimnagar two days ago.

The alleged rape of the female patient in the ward in a case of care giver turning predator sparked public outrage over the alleged lapses on the part of the hospital administration in ensuring safety of the female patient.

The police identified the arrested accused as Peddi Dakshina Murthy, 23, a native of Lakshmidevi Petha of Sironcha taluk in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.

Police said the accused had earlier worked in two private hospitals as ward boy and male nurse. He was removed from the jobs by the respective private hospital managements due to his addiction to alcohol. He was also habituated to watching porn, police added.

He joined another private hospital as compounder/OT technician in the town, where he had committed the crime. 

He allegedly raped the female patient while undergoing treatment for high fever inside a ward at the private hospital after administering sedatives to her in the wee hours of Sunday.

He was booked under Section 64 (2) (e) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and arrested based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s father.