In a shocking incident, a lab technician from Maharashtra’s Amravati has been arrested on the charges of rape after he collected vaginal swabs of a 24-year-old woman for coronavirus test.

According to reports, the incident took place on Tuesday, July 28 when around 20 to 25 staff members of a local mall, including the woman, visited a local testing centre for COVID-19 test after one of their colleagues tested positive.

However, after taking the nasal swabs of all staff members, the 28-year-old technician, identified as Alpesh Deshmukh convinced the victim to also give a swab sample from her private parts.

MirrorNow News reported that the woman grew suspicious about such an act and told her brother about it. Later, her brother consulted another doctor on the test procedure and got to know that vaginal swab tests aren’t done for COVID-19.

Thereafter, the woman approached the police and filed a complaint against the accused technician. Alpesh was arrested on Tuesday night and charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 376 (rape), according to Badnera Police Station’s Inspector Punjab Wanjari.

State Woman and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur, who is also the local MLA, has reportedly promised strict action against the accused.

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