Doc harassed women constantly: PUCASH

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 27

The report of the Panjab University Committee against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) reveals how women students have suffered constantly at the hands of Dr Devinder Preet Singh, a dental doctor at the Dr HS Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital of the PU.

‘Dirty Doctor’ WhatsApp group

When PUCASH asked Dr Devinder Preet Singh whether he had sent any obscene or inappropriate images via WhatsApp to any girl student, he said he might have forwarded it on account of an inadvertent lapse as he had a touch-screen phone and “he receives obscene images on a WhatsApp group named dirty doctors.” However, he remained silent when he was questioned about how text messages could be sent to girl students inadvertently when they had to be typed. He had allegedly sent “you are beautiful” text messages to some girl students.

A girl said from December 2017 to March 2018, the doctor kept sending her vulgar messages and pornographic videos. She said: “When I used to be alone at home, he used to send me messages that he wanted to come to my place. He used to ask me out for lunch and sent me cake and teddy bear on my birthday. It was very embarrassing receiving it from a faculty member.”

One girl quoted an incident when Dr Devinder Preet Singh made a comment about penetration in front of her male friend.

Another student complained that he used to ask whom they were dating when they were posted at the Department of Orthodontics in January. He went to the Public Health Dentistry and told the students posted there, “Yeh kaisa batch bheja hai, yahan toh sari ladkiya committed hai, koi fun nahi (What kind of batch is this. Here all girls are committed and there is no fun).”

Another girl told the PUCASH that in February 2018, when she was working in the ortho department, Dr Devinder Preet Singh came from behind and held her hand as she was conducting a dental procedure.

In February 2018, he showed a girl student how a cow is milked by pulling the fingers of a glove. He had even admitted to have performed this action.

Another student said: “Once I was alone during the OPD. He asked personal questions about my relationship status. I was so uncomfortable that I messaged another female student to come and save me.” It happened in February this year.

He allegedly touched a girl’s stomach on February 22 and used to call her and her friend inappropriately at odd times.

Another girl complained that when she used to go to him to get her practical work checked, he used to touch her badge applied near her chest. “He would say that he was just looking at my name. The touch was inappropriate.” The incident happened in July 2017 and then in September 2017.