COVID-19: Health worker allegedly rapes 44-year-old woman in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: In yet another shocker from Kerala, a woman, who was under quarantine, has alleged that she was raped by a health worker recently.
The accused, a junior health inspector at a primary health centre, was arrested on Monday and a case under IPC section 376 (rape) registered against him, police said.
The incident came to light a day after a 19-year-old woman was raped by an ambulance driver as she was being shifted to a COVID care centre at Pandalam in Pathnamthitta district on Saturday midnight.
A police officer of the nearby Pangode police station said the 44-year-old woman, who was working as a home nurse at Malappuram, had returned to her home at Kulathupuzha recently and was asked to undergo quarantine by the health inspector.
She also underwent an antigen test which was negative and was told by the man to collect the test certificate from his flat at Barathanoor, police said.
The woman in her complaint stated that she went to his house on September 3 and was sexually attacked after being tied up and was allowed to leave only the next day.
Meanwhile, the Women's commission has on its own registered a case against the health inspector and directed the state Health secretary to initiate disciplinary action against him.
Condemning the incident, leader of the opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the two incidents of rape has brought shame to the state.
These incidents shows the "serious lapses" on the part of the health department, he alleged.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
