BCM officer facing threats from MLA’s supporters approaches police

Ramesh G. Sanga, District Officer of Backward Classes Welfare Department, approached the University Police Station in Kalaburagi on Friday alleging that Prabhu Hadimani, a corporator from Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation, and Chandrakant, a BJP activist, had issued life threats to him and sought action against them. However, his written complaint has not been accepted.

According to the complaint, Mr. Hadimani and Mr. Chandrakant, who were allegedly the supporters of Dattatreya Patil Revoor, BJP MLA from Gulbarga Dakshin constituency, took serious objection to his interaction with a visual media representative involving the MLA that went viral and issued the threats.

Mr. Sanga, who was working in his post for the last six months, had, in his interview to a news channel on Thursday, made a bunch of allegations against the MLA. He had alleged that the MLA was making attempts to transfer him. He had also alleged that the MLA had demanded money from him for distributing ration kits to COVID-19-affected people in the city and he did not heed it.

After the video of his interview went viral, Mr. Hadimani and Mr. Chandrakant allegedly called Mr. Sanga around 20 times on Thursday night and issued threats using objectionable language. Mr. Sanga approached the police by 3 a.m. on Friday and submitted the complaint along with the call-record clippings.

Kalaburagi Police Commissioner N. Satish Kumar told The Hindu that Mr. Sanga had not actually submitted the complaint, but took it back by stating that he would submit a revised copy. He also said that an FIR would be filed upon the receipt of the complaint.

Notice from DC

Just as the interview reached the public domain, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner B. Sharat took exception to the conduct of his subordinate officer by holding that the officer should have brought the issue to the notice of the government or his superior officers instead of approaching the media. He held that reporting to media without obtaining permission from the government or his senior officers amounted to the violation of KCSR rules.

The Deputy Commissioner also held that Mr. Sanga had displayed misconduct by making “baseless allegations against the honourable people’s representative” and issued a show-cause notice asking him why a proposal for disciplinary action against him should not be sent.

Siddaramaiah demands action against MLA

Taking exception to the threats issued to Mr. Sanga, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanded that the government take stringent action against the offenders.

In a video message released on Friday, Mr. Siddaramaiah also expressed displeasure over Kalaburagi police not accepting the complaint and demanded that the police register an FIR and arrest the offenders.

“Dattatreya Patil Revoor had demanded money from the BCM officer for distributing ration kits to COVID-19-affected people. Mr. Revoor threatened the officer of transferring him as the latter did not heed. It amounts to goondaism. I have talked to Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner and asked them to take action against the offenders,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.