Santosh Andhale for Mumbai Mirror

• For the last 10 days, someone has been stealing the doctors’ clothes left out to dry and burning them on the premises

Mumbai, Jun 16: At JJ Hospital, some resident doctors have given themselves additional night duty — throughout the night, they take one-hour turns to keep a vigil for an intruder who regularly turns up at the medical college ladies’ hostel and steals clothes left out to dry. Strangely, the mystery person doesn’t take away the clothes, but burns them in the hospital premises.

The intruder targets the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors of the ladies’ hostel building.

Security is tight at the JJ hospital, which gets around 4,500 patients daily in its Out Patient Departments (OPDs). Despite this, the intruder has been able to enter the hospital premises for the last 10 days and burn lady doctors’ clothes.

Doctors suspect a pervert is behind the ridiculous caper. The modus operandi is quite simple: The mystery person takes clothes left hanging out to dry from the residents doctors’ hostel, and burns them in the corner of the hostel gallery. Seven incidents have been reported so far in the doctors’ quarters. Vexed doctors have informed MARD officials and Dr Gaurishankar Sarate, dean and in-charge of JJ Hospital.

“It is a very dangerous thing. We have informed the dean, asking him to appoint special security guards in the hostel. Nobody knows who the mischief-maker is. But, we have told our doctors to take turns and keep watch through the night, and if anything untoward happens, inform other doctors. In consultation with RMOs, a schedule has been prepared. According to the plan, doctors do either hospital or vigil duty,” said Dr Mahadeo Bansode, president of the central MARD.

Following the incidents, Dr T P Lahane, dean and campus security in-charge visited all the doctors’ quarters and also informed the JJ Police Station. “We received several complaints from the RMOs. Now, we are planning to beef up internal security. We don’t know if the mischief-maker is an insider or someone from outside. It could be a psychopath,” said Dr Sarate.  Dr Lahane said the hospital has asked for a constable to be appointed for round-the-clock duty on the campus. “The hospital security too will roam the hostel in civil dress to find the pervert,” he added.