Pics: Joshwa D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru(JD)
Mangaluru, Sept 27: Demanding justice to the bus-conductor Devdas, the KSRTC employees along with the various labour organisations staged a protest in front of the KSRTC bus stand at Lalbagh on Tuesday September 27 and alleged that the inhumane treatment by a police constable in the Kadaba police station abetted him for suicide.
Addressing the gathered the representative of AITUC, Praveen Shetty said that they have gathered to offer their sympathies to KSRTC bus conductor Devdas Shetty.
“He committed suicide to protect his self dignity as he was stripped and interrogated in the Kadaba police station by a constable. There was a chance that the issue could have been sorted out with the help of woman who alleged that Devdas had not returned the proper change. Rather the police constable took the statement of the female passenger only. We do not blame the police department but only the constable,”
“He was awarded the honour of best conductor in the state three times. If this is the condition of a government employee, then what can be expected in the police station when a common man enters it. The truth will come out if the constable is subjected to investigation by the higher officials.” he added.
Speaking on the occasion the district secretary of CITU Sunil Kumar Bajal alleged that it was a systematic murder and not just a suicide. “The constable had some sort of grudge on the conductor and hence stripped him in the police station. There is a clause which states that you cannot assault a government employee when he is on duty. It is highly condemnable that he was stripped. Along with the intense enquiry on the constable, the government must give compensation not less than Rs 10 lac to the family of the conductor Devdas as he was the sole bread winner of the family.”
Shashidhar Ambat of AITUC, district vice president of INTUC Walter Pinto, district president of INTUC Manohar Shetty and others were present.