Two arrested for racial attack on Nagaland woman doctor in UP's Gorakhpur

Two persons have been arrested in connection with an alleged racial attack on a woman doctor from Nagaland posted at the AIIMS Gorakhpur. The victim, a third-year resident doctor, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, was returning to the campus from a mall on Sunday evening, when the accused allegedly followed her for over a kilometre and accosted her near the institute gates, allegedly subjecting her to racial slurs, stalking and physical assault. The arrested accused have been identified as Suraj Gupta and Amrit Vishwakarma, both residents of Deoria district, police said in the statement. The incident took place around 8 pm, as the doctor was walking towards Gate Number 2 of the institute, close to the Army Camp. According to the complaint, the three men followed her for nearly 1.5 kilometres, hurling obscene remarks and racial slurs. One of the men allegedly removed his shirt to intimidate her before another touched her inappropriately. The doctor raised an alarm, forcing the trio to flee from the spot. The National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS and INIs (NAFORD) took to social media to highlight the ordeal, noting the ''deep shock, humiliation and trauma'' faced by the resident. The federation stated that the three men used racially discriminatory comments and stereotypes regarding her northeastern origin. ''She tried to confront them, but instead they stalked and followed her on the road toward AIIMS Gate No. 2, hurling abuses & slang. One of them deliberately removed his shirt to intimidate. Near the army camp at Gate No. 2, one man suddenly slapped even her on the buttocks,'' the federation alleged in a post on X. ''This left deep shock, humiliation & trauma on our resident doctor. As a doctor dedicated to women's health & bringing new life, she was violated near her own institution,'' it added. Later, in a statement, the police said that on February 22 night, when the victim was coming out of Orion Mall, three men made obscene remarks at her and at Gate No. 2 of AIIMS Hospital, the same three men misbehaved with the plaintiff. When she protested, the accused abused her and threatened to kill her. Based on the complaint received in this regard, a case has been registered under sections 74 (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 296(a) (Obscene acts and songs), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the BNS.