A block medical officer of health was arrested in Garbeta, West Midnapore, after a nurse alleged that he sexually harassed and assaulted her inside his office, with the district health administration also opening a departmental inquiry into the case.
The accused, identified as Prabir Kumar Bauri, was arrested on Sunday night following a formal complaint filed by the nurse, who works at a local health centre. According to police sources cited by the Times of India, the nurse had visited the BMOH office on Thursday to collect documents.
Police sources said Bauri allegedly made romantic advances towards the nurse during the visit. After she rejected the advances, he allegedly assaulted her. The allegations have not been tested in court, and the investigation is continuing.
Bauri was produced before a court on Monday and was remanded to two days of judicial custody. The immediate court action places the case within the criminal justice process while the police investigate the complaint and gather evidence.
The case has also triggered an administrative response within the health system. CMOH Soumya Shankar Sarangi said multiple complaints had previously been lodged against Bauri. A departmental inquiry has been initiated, although the source report did not provide details about the earlier complaints, the inquiry’s terms of reference or its expected timeline.
The allegations concern a public health official and a nurse working within the local government health-service network, bringing workplace safety and institutional accountability into focus alongside the criminal investigation. The reported incident occurred in the BMOH’s office, a setting where staff may depend on administrative officers for documents, postings and other official processes.
The police case and departmental inquiry will now proceed through separate tracks. The court remand covers the immediate legal process, while the health department’s inquiry is expected to examine the allegations and the complaints referred to by the CMOH. Further details will depend on the investigation and the findings of the departmental proceedings.
