Hassan: A Karnataka Administrative Service officer in Hassan today allegedly tried to commit suicide even as the controversy over alleged suicide of two DySPs that put the Siddaramaiah government in a spot is yet to die down.

Assistant Commissioner E Vijaya allegedly attempted suicide by hanging at her residence here, officials said. They said Vijaya had reportedly sent a message to an Additional SP, who is her neighbour, about committing suicide, and she soon rushed to her house and rescued the officer.

Vijaya is now undergoing treatment at a Hospital. Her mother Sumitramma alleged that pressure from higher officials and protest by few groups had led her to attempt suicide.

Vijaya was recently transferred as Administrative Officer of Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, against which she had moved the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal which stayed the order.

Several organisations had protested against her alleging that she was “corrupt” and had also demanded reinstatement of Nagaraj whom she had replaced.

Hassan MLA H S Prakash, who visited the hospital, told a local news channel that “she is still under observation, but doctors have said that she is out of danger.”

Earlier this week, sub-inspector with Vijayanagar police station in Bengaluru Roopa Tambad had allegedly attempted suicide by taking an overdose of over-the-counter pills, after being pulled up by a senior officer in connection with a case she was handling. She is now undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Mangaluru DySP M K Ganapathy was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room at a lodge in Madikeri on July 7, triggering a huge political storm as he had named a Minister and two IPS officials in his pre-death declaration.

In another case on July 5, the body of Chikkamagaluru sub-division DySP Kallappa Handibag (35), accused of kidnapping a person for ransom, was found hanging in his father-in-law’s home at Murgod in Belagavi district. His family had alleged harassment and conspiracy by senior officials.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Both houses of parliament witnessed uproarious scenes on Friday, leading to their adjournment, over the video footage circulated by Aam Aadmi Party Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann.

As soon as the house assembled, several BJP members including Kirit Somaiya, R.K. Singh and others including from the Akali Dal were up on their feet demanding action against Mann.

The AAP MP from Sangrur in Punjab wanted to say something but nothing could be heard in the din.

Mann on Thursday shot a video clip of his journey from home to parliament, including going past the various security pickets, and uploaded it on the social media, drawing flak from various quarters for putting Parliament security in peril.

The Speaker summoned Mann to her chamber to explain his position.

The AAP lawmaker later appeared before the Speaker.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha also with members including Anand Sharma of the Congress) and Sitaram Yechury of the CPI-M maintaining that the issue amounted to breach of security and privilege of members of Parliament.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi too described the matter as serious and said the government and the Lok Sabha Speaker are seized of it.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said there is no doubt about the seriousness of the issue. However, as pandemonium continued for a while, Kurien adjourned the house till 12 noon.

Earlier, outside Parliament, Naqvi told reporters that “the circulation of such video footage was against parliamentary rules at a time when terrorists are looking for opportunities to attack”.

“Giving out such sensitive information and video footage of sensitive areas of Parliament is wrong.”

In the video that went viral, Mann is seen giving commentary as his vehicle crosses security barricades, while going to Parliament. “I’ll today show you something you would not have seen earlier,” Mann said at the beginning of the video.

Inside Parliament, he goes into the room where the process of selection of questions for the Zero Hour is done. As he describes the process, a security official is heard telling him not to take photographs. “I’ll not take photo… will maintain confidentiality,” Mann says in his reply.

(Agencies)

Rajkot: Terming the BJP government in Gujarat as “anti-Dalit”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today accused the state administration of colluding in the incident of attack on dalit men by cow vigilantes as he met the victims and their families.

The Aam Aadmi Party Chief claimed that it was not an “isolated” incident and “atrocities” on dalits were being committed across Gujarat. He warned that the BJP government will be “taught a lesson” by members of all communities if it does not end its “oppression”.

“The beating happened in front of a police station in the presence of police…it means this is happening at the behest of the administration. Why is the police silent? Why is it involved? This means there is some direction from the top administration,” Kejriwal told reporters after visiting the victims of the July 11 incident at Rajkot civil hospital.

“The BJP government in Gujarat is inflicting atrocities on Dalits, (it) is anti-Dalit,” alleged Kejriwal whose visit cames a day after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meet the victims. Two days back, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had also visited the place.

The Delhi Chief Minister also questioned the state government’s intent to carry out an unbiased investigation into the matter. The AAP national convener said only 17 persons have been arrested when about 40-50 people were allegedly involved in the July 11 incident, and pointed out that no charge sheet has yet been filed in the 2012 killing of Dalits by police at Thangadh in Surendranagar district.

Three Dalits were killed in the police firing in 2012. “People apprehend that the arrests could be an eyewash and the accused may be allowed to go scot-free later,” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal also stoked a controversy when he met Dalit youth Kanti Mulji Vala, arrested for the murder of head constable Pankaj Amrelia, at the Rajkot civil hospital where he is admitted.

Asked why he meet a murder accused, the Delhi CM said he will also meet the family members of the constable at Amreli. He said those who attempted suicide told him that “atrocities against Dalits are growing day by day in Gujarat”. “I asked them why they are committing suicide. They said atrocities against Dalits are growing day by day. Then I told them that suicide is not the way out, we will have to fight together,” he stressed.

He demanded compensation and government jobs for the victims and the youths who had attempted suicide. Kejriwal also pressed for swift action against all the accused. “I have been told that false cases are being lodged against the (dalit) youths who are agitating by the authorities as they did during the peaceful Patidar quota agitation,” Kejriwal claimed.

After meeting the victims of the beating incident and people who attempted suicide during the protest, Kejriwal will also visit the victims’ families at Mota Samadhiyala village, where the incident of brutal assault on Dalits for skinning a dead cow took place on July 11. The thrashing incident had sparked a statewide protest by Dalit community members which continued for three days leading to arson and loss of public property.

(PTI)

Chennai: IAF’s AN-32 plane was on its way from Chennai to Port Blair.

A transport plane of the Indian Air Force with 29 people on board went missing today while flying from Chennai to Port Blair.

The AN-32 aircraft took off at 0830 hours from Tambaram in Chennai and the last contact with it was made 16 minutes later, defence sources said.

The aircraft can fly for up to four hours without refuelling. A massive search operation has been launched by the IAF, Navy and the Coast Guard, sources said.

“It was a courier flight with service personnel on board and the estimated arrival time at Port Blair was 1130 hrs. Search is on,” the sources said.

One P8I aircraft and one Donier aircraft have been pressed into seach and rescue operation while four ships have been diverted to join them.

More military assets are being sent to help in the search and rescue operation.

More details are awaited.

(Agencies)