Police have arrested a facility manager at government-run Panskura Speciality Hospital in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal after a female contract worker accused him of sexual assault and rape inside the hospital premises.

According to police, the accused, identified as Zahir Abbas Khan, was apprehended in Kolaghat on Monday following a formal complaint from the victim.

Police said the victim, who worked as a contractual ward girl, alleged that Khan, who was her supervisor, repeatedly threatened her to keep silent about the abuse. She claimed that the manager used his position to coerce her, threatening that he would fire her or harm her, if she didn’t comply with his demand.

“He repeatedly threatened me and took me to the room and sexually assaulted me,” the victim said.

Police said an investigation is underway after the complaint was filed at the Panskura Police Station and added Khan’s arrest was swift.

The woman complainant said that many temporary workers are forced to endure such conditions out of fear of losing their jobs. “When that job goes away, we keep quiet about how we can make ends meet,” she said.

The allegations have once again brought the issue of staff safety in government hospitals to the forefront, following a similar high-profile case at RG Kar Medical College.

Junior doctor Aniket Mahato spoke out about the need for greater security and a change in mindset regarding the safety of hospital workers.

“We had already demanded safety for health workers in hospitals,” he stated. “The state government also needs to take active steps.”