Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Oct 15: In a case filed under SC and ST Atrocities Act, the district and sessions court here has granted bail to panchayat development officer (PDO) of Shiriyara gram panchayat in the taluk.

PDO of Shiriyara, Ganapa Mogaveera,  was charged with faking the signature of panchayat president, Jyoti, in some records and modifying documents of the panchayat fraudulently thereby misusing power and committing atrocities on Dalits, as per the complaint filed in Kota police station on September 22.

Later, villagers of Shiriyara had staged a protest in front of Shiriyara gram panchayat office, accusing the panchayat president of hoisting false case against the honest PDO. They also had collected contributions locally for securing bail for the accused.

Relating to the case, the district and sessions court granted anticipatory bail to the PDO. He was represented in the case by the advocate, Harshraj Kody Kanyana.