Kundapur: Harassment by higher up - village assistant attempts suicide

Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jun 14: In an incident which occurred at Belni in Bhatkal, a village assistant, who was allegedly undergoing unbearable harassment at the hands of the assistant commissioner (AC) and facing the prospect of losing his job, tried to end his life but in vain.

The person, identified as Madev Nagappa Naik, resident of Sannayyana Mane in Belni, was in critical condition, and is being treated in the intensive care unit of a private hospital here.

Madev, who has been working as village assistant since the last two decades, was reportedly entrusted with household work at the residence of Bhatkal assistant commissioner, V R Manohar, since the last three months. It is learnt that he was entrusted with duties like mopping the floor, cleaning of the toilets, bringing things required for household use from the market, etc.

Madev reportedly availed a day’s leave on January 2 this year. Then the officer called him over phone and ordered him to deliver milk to his home. Madev sent his younger brother, Vittal, to fetch milk. Vittal said he was beaten up when he visited the assistant commissioner’s home for delivering milk.

This incident was conveyed to tahsildar, S S Madhukeshwar, but it is said that the tahsildar expressed helpless in the matter, and advised the man to follow instructions of the AC. As soon as he reached the office on June 13 morning, Madev was handed over a letter of dismissal from employment. Shocked by this unexpected development, it is gathered, he consumed phenol stocked in the toilet.

Tahsildars of both Bhatkal and Kundapur visited the person at the hospital.