Acupuncture practitioner arrested for sexual harassment in B'luru

Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru:

Beware of medical practitioners who cross the limits of decency endangering the safety of their clients. In the latest incident of this kind, the Central Crime Branch's (CCB) Women Protection Wing has nabbed an acupuncture practitioner on charges of sexual harassment of women patients who visited his clinic near Yeshwanthpur in the city.

The police identified the accused as Venkataramana, who had opened an Acupuncture therapy clinic near Mathikere recently. Some of the patients had earlier alleged misbehaviour by the accused who would ask them to take off their clothes on the pretext of providing treatment. Recently one of the patients was shocked when she received a video clip on her mobile phone which was shot without her knowing it, during treatment.

The arrest was made on Wednesday based on complaints filed against the accused at various police stations in the city including Yeshwanthpur, Basavanagudi and the Cyber Crime police station. Police sources revealed that Venkataramana had fled to Andhra Pradesh as soon as he came to know about the complaints. However a probe was launched by the CCB who tracked him down to Gooty village in Anantapur district and brought him back to the city.

Further interrogation revealed that he had studied till class 12 and was later employed by a private firm and worked there as a commercial manager for about 10 years. During a workshop, he got introduced to a doctor who reportedly trained him in acupuncture therapy. Later he opened his own clinic here offering treatment. Acupuncture, is said to be a healing practice in which thin needles are placed at specific points in the body to help relieve pain.