Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today directed the principal secretary, Health, to probe allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a woman doctor against the personal secretary of the department's minister Deepak Sawant.
"The allegations will be probed by Principal Secretary (Public Health) Sujata Saunik," Fadnavis told reporters here.
The 26-year-old doctor from Jalgaon district had recently written to the Chief Minister against the Personal Secretary (PS), identified as Sunil Mali.
In her letter, she claimed that Mali asked her "inappropriate and personal questions for around two hours in the minister's ante-chamber" when she went to Sawant to give him a presentation on replicating her project across 1,800 PHCs across the state.
The doctor had recently claimed to have fully digitised a primary health centre (PHC), in terms of equipment and data, at Patonda village in Jalgaon district of the state.
Mali had dismissed the allegations against him.
Addressing reporters, Sawant today said he was "in favour of a fair probe but no one should be punished unnecessarily".
Sources claimed that Mali has been asked to go on leave till the probe is over.
Meanwhile, the District Health Officers Cadre Association today lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister's office demanding Mali's suspension and appropriate action against him.
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Meanwhile, a senior inspector of Marine Drive police station here said they have received a written complaint from the woman doctor against Mali, but yet to register an FIR.
The woman stated in her complaint that she had been sexually harassed by Mali since March, he said, adding an investigation is underway.
