Guwahati: A senior woman doctor at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has lodged a police complaint alleging workplace harassment by the institution’s principal, Dr Achyut Baishya, triggering both a police investigation and a government-appointed inquiry.
The doctor, an Associate Professor and former Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology, filed an FIR at the Panbazar Women Police Station on Tuesday.
She had earlier submitted a detailed complaint to the Chief Minister’s Office on February 6, alleging a sustained pattern of inappropriate conduct, intimidation and administrative victimisation during her tenure at the medical college.
According to the FIR, the relationship between the doctor and the administration deteriorated after an initial period of professional appreciation following the establishment of an independent clinical psychology department.
She alleged that the principal repeatedly insisted on private meetings in his office and made remarks that she found uncomfortable and unprofessional, particularly in view of the hierarchical power structure.
The complaint also outlines alleged administrative obstruction, including delays in her formal appointment as Head of Department, resistance to academic expansion proposals, and a subsequent decision to dismantle her department and merge it with another unit.
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She claimed this move curtailed the development of mental health services she had initiated at the institution.
The FIR further states that the complaint names multiple alleged victims.
Responding to the allegations, Dr Achyut Baishya said he had been instructed not to speak to the media and had submitted all relevant documents for the inquiry process.
Meanwhile, the Assam government has constituted a two-member inquiry committee headed by women officials to examine the allegations, while police have begun preliminary investigations based on the FIR.
The case has sparked wider debate within medical and academic circles on workplace ethics, gender sensitivity and institutional accountability in public healthcare institutions.
