Jammu Mirror
Kishtwar Minor’s Sexual Assault & Death Case: Hospital Sanitation Worker Sacked After Arrest; Total Nabbed Reaches 5
Jammu: In a major disciplinary measure linked to the horrific sexual assault and subsequent death of a 15-year-old tribal girl, authorities at the District Hospital Kishtwar have summarily terminated a sanitation worker following his arrest by law enforcement agencies.
The accused, identified as a daily-wage sweeper at the medical facility, was apprehended on Wednesday for his suspected involvement in a coordinated cover-up to hide the aggravated sexual exploitation and facilitate the illicit abortion that ultimately claimed the minor’s life.
Case Highlights
- Direct Dismissal: Hospital authorities bypass suspension, issuing an outright dismissal to maintain institutional integrity.
- Key Suspects: Primary accused—a government schoolteacher—and his brother were arrested earlier on August 20.
- Growing Net: Special Investigation Team (SIT) has made five arrests so far in connection with the crime and attempted cover-up.
Confirming the strict administrative measure, District Hospital Kishtwar Medical Superintendent, Dr. Yudhveer Singh Kotwal, stated that termination procedures were executed immediately upon receiving confirmation of the arrest from the police.
“Following intimation from the police regarding his arrest, he was dismissed from service on Thursday. Retaining him was deemed entirely incompatible with the discipline, ethics, and smooth operation required of a public healthcare institution given the grave severity of the allegations,” Dr. Kotwal remarked.
Dr. Kotwal underscored that the staff member was issued a decisive dismissal rather than a routine suspension. He refrained from sharing specific details regarding the victim’s admission records, citing the ongoing investigation: “A full-scale probe is in progress, and the hospital administration is extending complete cooperation to the investigating authorities.”
According to investigators, the victim—a 15-year-old tribal student—was subjected to repeated sexual abuse over several months by a teacher at her school, resulting in an unwanted pregnancy.
In a bid to conceal the crime, the teacher, in criminal conspiracy with his brother, procured and administered unauthorized drugs to force a termination. When medical complications escalated, the victim was first taken to a Public Health Centre in Chatroo before being transferred to the Kishtwar District Hospital, allegedly with the active connivance of the hospital sweeper.
The minor delivered a stillborn child and succumbed shortly after due to severe health complications.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Pardeep Singh, has expanded its crackdown on all facilitators. With the arrest of three individuals for aiding the abortion and attempting to destroy evidence, the total number of arrests in the case now stands at five.
