London (PTI): A doctor who claimed to have been trained in specialist massage in India for two years has been handed an 18-month prison sentence by a UK court which also placed him on the sex offenders' register for 10 years after being found guilty of the sexual assault of a female patient.

Simon Abraham, 34, worked at Eastbourne District General Hospital in south-east England when he contacted the woman in October 2020 after she had been treated there for severe headaches. He was convicted of sexual assault at Chichester Crown Court after a four-day trial in May and sentenced last week to 18 months in prison - nine of which will be custodial behind bars and the remaining under licence parole conditions.

"He claimed that he had had a call from a colleague who was concerned about her condition and that he had been trained in specialist massage in India for two years," the Sussex Police said in a statement.

"The woman agreed to his visit, but during the massage he sexually assaulted her. He left when a visitor came to the house, but continued to phone her. She contacted the hospital who advised her that they would investigate, but she should also contact police," the statement noted.

Abraham will also be placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and is subject to a five-year restraining order to protect the victim from contact by him.

"Abraham took advantage of the victim's pain, fraudulently accessing her patient details even though he wasn't officially treating her, and then visiting her when he finished work, claiming that he could massage her headache away," said Sussex Police Detective Constable Jo Gledhill.

"When he was arrested, he denied that it happened at all, but then asked for a further interview where he admitted going to her house, but did not sexually touch her. We will always take reports of this nature very seriously and specially trained officers will deal with your call. If you have been sexually assaulted, please contact us and we will investigate," she said.

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Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.

The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.

The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.

On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.

Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.

It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.

He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.

According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.