After a junior resident doctor allegedly faced sexual harassment by a nursing officer at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Rishikesh, and doctors agitated demanding action, police Wednesday drove an SUV all the way to the sixth floor of the hospital building to arrest the accused.

The SUV also passed through a busy emergency ward on the first floor, and a video of the incident has been widely shared on social media

According to police, they were informed about the case Tuesday, after which an FIR was registered under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Meanwhile, many junior and senior residents, demanding the arrest of the accused, sat in protest outside the Dean’s office.

Dehradun SSP Ajai Singh said, “After the May 19 incident, the matter was initially internally handled by the AIIMS administration. The accused was also admitted to the hospital after he complained of some health issues.”

The officer said that police were informed, and an FIR was filed, after many doctors gathered for a protest Tuesday. “But the outrage grew. The accused was admitted to the hospital ward and there was a possibility of a law-and-order situation,” he said.

Describing Wednesday’s incident, the SSP said, “When the police reached on Wednesday, the AIIMS security in-charge said that we need to remove the accused from the ward, otherwise things could escalate and even result in mob lynching. To ensure a safe exit, we took the passage used by ambulances to carry serious patients.”

“The police SUV reached the sixth floor because it was hard to safely bring the accused on foot, and arrested the accused. When returning, the protesters saw the SUV and chased it. On the first floor, the SUV was surrounded and the AIIMS security personnel decided to create a passage through the emergency ward to let it exit. The video making rounds is of the first-floor emergency ward,” Singh said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the state Women’s Commission Chairperson, Kusum Kandwal, had reached the institute and met the victim, as well as the Dean, Dr Jaya Chaturvedi, and other women doctors to get information about the case.

Kandwal then directed Dehradun District Magistrate (DM) to immediately constitute an investigation committee.

The accused has been suspended by the AIIMS administration, officials said. But Kandwal has directed that Assistant Nursing Superintendent (ANS) Sinoj P also be suspended till the investigation is over, because he had sent the accused on duty even after the complaint.

The AIIMS administration has served a notice to the ANS, asking him to reply within 72 hours.