Udupi: A small incident which would have otherwise gone unnoticed seems to have blown out of proportion due to the alleged political intervention. BJP leaders have held Udupi district in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj responsible for trying to protect an employee of his fish factory and for suspending a police constable.
On April 5, when Malpe constable Prakash and his wife were returning from a medical shop, a man, later identified as Kumar, came inconveniently close to Prakash's wife, hit her and also misbehaved with her. An angry Prakash questioned Kumar, but when he behaved rudely, Prakash thrashed Kumar, who works as a driver in Madhwaraj's factory, sources said.
Kumar, who allegedly sustained injuries, got admitted to a private hospital and is under treatment.It is said that the people close to the minister called Prakash to the fish factory and tried to pressurise him. On Saturday, the Udupi DySP suspended Prakash for "failing to discharge his duty and taking law into his hand". An enquiry has also been initiated against Prakash. Meanwhile, Prakash's wife has filed a sexual harassment complaint against Kumar at the women's police station. A case under IPC Sections 323, 354 read with 34 has been registered against Kumar.
BJP leaders allege that Madhwarajs is behind the suspension of constable Prakash."Pramod Madhwaraj has not uttered a word on the sand mafia goons assaulting the Deputy Commissioner, but has become active now and got the constable suspended, only because Kumar is his employee. It is sad that the minister has got himself involved in the case. He should have supported the woman, who was harassed by a misbehaving man. Instead, Madhwaraj has ensured that the constable is suspended. This will definitely bring down the morale of government employees," criticised BJP state committee member and Mangaluru division in-charge Uday Kumar Shetty.
Minister Madhwaraj was quit to deny his involvement in the entire episode. "Kumar has been working in our factory for the last 15 years. He is a well-behaved man and everybody knows it. Even for argument's sake if we consider that he made a mistake, the constable should have filed a complaint, taken the legal step, but not assault him," Madhwaraj said.
"Kumar has sustained injuries in his spinal cord and has been admitted to a hospital. A medico-legal case has also been filed. Based on this, a complaint was generated against the constable and he had to be suspended as per rules. I have not pressurised anybody," he claimed.
He also questioned the highhandedness of the policemen. "Today, it could be my driver, tomorrow it could be somebody else. How is it right to assault anybody," he asked. "The constable also came to our factory, which is being managed by my wife, and requested her to ensure that no case is filed against him," the minister claimed.
