Bangalore: Minister Somanna Accused of Assaulting Official

Bangalore, Jul 5 (DHNS): Close on the heels of an Andhra Pradesh MP assaulting a bank manager, State Housing and Muzrai Minister V Somanna came under a cloud with allegations being levelled that he abused and assaulted a BBMP assistant engineer at Dasarahalli on Saturday. 

 
The engineer, A N Somaraju, who fell unconscious, was admitted to Manipal Hospital. According to reliable sources, Somanna ordered BBMP’s West Zone officials and engineers in charge of Dasarahalli  to be present at the 13th Cross of Dasarahalli by 6.30 am. The officials dashed to the spot in the morning.

Somanna then asked Somaraju to get the work on a culvert done at the earliest. In response, Somaraju said the area where the culvert had to be built came under the jurisdiction of the BDA and that there would be duplication of work. When Somanna reportedly insisted that the work be done by the BBMP, Somaraju refused to carry out his instruction. An enraged Somanna reportedly hurled invectives at Somaraju in the presence of others. Somaraju’s wife Triveni alleged that Somanna slapped her husband. He then fell unsconcious, she said.

Somaraju’s brother-in-law Venkatesh said he thought of filing a police complaint before submitting a memorandum to Governor H R Bharadwaj.

When contacted, Somanna said: “I am concerned more about people’s welfare than the welfare of officers. I took the officers to task because people were angry over the shoddy job. I asked them what they had been doing all these days. I have every right to ask them to do so. I neither have hatred nor affection for them. All that I am concerned about is development.”

Meanwhile, some BBMP officials rushed Somaraju to Shanbhag Hospital as another colleague  informed his family, but Somaraju was not to be found admitted there. Venkatesh alleged that Somanna’s supporters had pressured the hospital authorities to refuse Somaraju admission. It is also alleged that he was refused admission at Mallya Hospital where Somanna’s supporters chased away the relatives. “The staff at Mallya Hospital said there were no doctors and they had no specialisation in dealing with neurology-related cases. So, we were asked to take him to Nimhans. We then contacted Congress leaders D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah and sought police protection. We then rushed him to Manipal Hospital,” said Venkatesh.

At Manipal Hospital, a CT scan and an MRI were done, but till 10 pm on Saturday night the engineer had not regained consciousness. Hospital sources said when Somaraju arrived, he was unable to speak and was subsequently admitted to the neurology department’s ICU. The BBMP commissioner was not available for comment.