Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Aug 8: Shreelatha Shetty, a woman deserted by her husband, who is in the family way, had commenced her indefinite hunger strike in front of the office of the deputy commissioner here on Friday August 7 morning, demanding that she be facilitated to unite with her husband, She had alleged in a press conference the previous day, that her husband, a KSRTC employee, had married her after a love affair, but had deserted her after she became pregnant, at the advice of his family members. Shreelatha had alleged that the family of her husband had been demanding dowry of five lac rupees to let her join him.
In-charge deputy commissioner Prasanna Kumar had requested her to defer the agitation by a few weeks to enable the administration to take steps, but she refused to relent. The fact that it frequently rained and that Shreelatha is pregnant, had given rise to concerns about her health. Keshav Koteshwar of 'Sphoortidhama', former taluk panchayat member Dhananjay Amin, office bearer of ‘Jayakarnataka’ organisation Satish Poojary etc., had joined her in the protest.
Co-incidentally, Dr V S Acharya's programme of accepting petitions from the public was scheduled in the office of the deputy commissioner on Friday. He saw Shreelatha's protest and enquired about it. He then asked the district superintendent of police to settle the issue. After the superintendent of police Pravin Madhukar Pawar assured her that he would bring her husband to Udupi within two days from Bhatkal, Shreelatha relented and withdrew her hunger strike.