Two doctors of a government hospital in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district were suspended on Saturday for not examining a five-year-old child who was allegedly sexually abused, The News Minute reported.

Doctors MC Ganga and Lekha of Kozhancherry District Hospital’s gynaecology department had allegedly refused to examine the girl when police personnel had taken her to the hospital. Instead, they made the girl wait for six hours, according to Mathrubhumi. The police had arrested an auto driver for abusing the child.

Activists alleged that the doctors lied that they did not know how to examine a five-year-old child. Based on a report filed by the Pathanamthitta District Collector R Girija last week, Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja had directed the health secretary to take action against the two doctors. Shylaja had said that it was unfortunate that such incidents were happening in the state.

On Saturday, the police had registered a case against the two doctors under Sections 166 (A) and 166 (B) (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.