Two Kamareddy officials held on charge of sexual harassment

The Devunipalli Police on Thursday took into custody Kamareddy District Medical and Health Officer Lakshman Singh and his office superintendent Srinivas Naik on complaints received against them from lady medical officers of various Primary Health Centres.  
They alleged that the two officials have been harassing them for over one year in the name of inspection of the PHCs and maintained that there were instances of speaking to them on phones employing a language that did not suit their demeanour.
In a span of just 10 days, 21 lady medical officers lodged complaints of sexual harassment with the police against the two officials.
Of late, some lady medical officers working in PHCs complained against the two officials with the police. The police registered cases against Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force towards any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will there by outrage her modesty), Sections 354 D (the offence of stalking) and 509 (intention to insult modesty of any woman) of the IPC and took them into custody.
The DMHO, who visits the PHCs on the pretext of inspection, would sit beside them and put different questions to them and pose problems to them with his gestures. He used to call up to enquire them how their life is going on.
On learning about it, local MLA Venkata Ramana Reddy spoke to the affected women, who took the objectionable conduct of the DMHO and office superintendent to the notice of the MLA.
Some others gave vent to their utter dissatisfaction over the irregularities taking place in the recruitment in the health department.
Responding on the issue, additional director of health Dr Amar Singh took a serious view of the conduct of the DMHO and other employees. The lady medical officers complained that they have been enduring the sexual harassment for the past 18 months.
Devunipalli police took the DMHO and his office superintendent into custody for questioning.