Kollam: A nursing officer at the Asramam ESI Hospital has been arrested and remanded to custody under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a 16-year-old girl inside the hospital elevator.

The arrested individual, identified as 38-year-old Migdad, a resident of Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram, also reportedly runs a popular YouTube channel. According to the Kollam East police, the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, following which a formal complaint was lodged.

The minor girl was at the government-run healthcare facility to care for her elder sister, who had been admitted on Monday night with a severe fever. While acting as the patient’s bystander, she used the hospital lift in the early hours of Tuesday. The accused allegedly boarded the same lift and attempted to molest her. Shaken by the encounter, the girl immediately confided in her sister and brother, who subsequently informed their mother.

The girl’s family alleged that they initially approached the hospital superintendent with a complaint, but the superintendent ignored their concerns and took no immediate action. Frustrated by the administration’s lack of response, the family approached the Kollam East police. Officers swiftly recorded the teenager’s statement and arrested Migdad later that night. The court has since remanded him to judicial custody.