Two persons have been arrested in connection with an alleged racial attack on a woman doctor from Nagaland posted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Gorakhpur, an incident that has raised fresh concerns over the safety of healthcare professionals and recurring discrimination against people from Northeast India.
Police identified the accused as Suraj Gupta and Amrit Vishwakarma, residents of Deoria district. They were arrested after the doctor lodged a complaint alleging stalking, racial slurs and physical assault near the institute’s Gate No. 2 on Sunday evening.
According to the complaint, the victim, a third-year resident specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, was returning to the campus from a mall at around 8 pm when three men allegedly followed her for over a kilometre. The accused reportedly passed obscene remarks and racially discriminatory comments, and one of them allegedly touched her inappropriately.
The National Federation of Resident Doctors of AIIMS and INIs (NAFORD) highlighted the incident on social media, describing it as deeply traumatic and expressing concern about the safety of resident doctors. The federation alleged that the attackers used stereotypes related to the doctor’s North Eastern origin while harassing her.
In its post, NAFORD claimed that when the doctor attempted to confront the men, they continued to stalk her towards AIIMS Gate No. 2, hurling abuses and slang. One of the accused allegedly removed his shirt in an attempt to intimidate her, and near the army camp at Gate No. 2, one of them allegedly slapped her on the buttocks.
“This left deep shock, humiliation and trauma on our resident doctor. As a doctor dedicated to women’s health and bringing new life, she was violated near her own institution,” the federation stated.
Police said a case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections related to assault with intent to outrage modesty, obscene acts, criminal intimidation and intentional insult likely to provoke a breach of peace.
Authorities added that the doctor raised an alarm during the incident, forcing the accused to flee. Though she did not suffer physical injuries, the episode has reignited debate over the vulnerability of professionals from the Northeast working in institutions across mainland India.
