Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Aug 23: We often hear complaints about officials in powerful positions trying to misuse their powers for dubious means. Such an incident came to the fore in Brahmavar in the taluk on Friday August 22, when police sub-inspector (SI) of Brahmavar station, Girish Kumar, exhibited arrogance and threatened to misuse his power against some government employees.
Some employees of Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Mescom) faced the heat of the ire of the said sub-inspector, who was seething with anger because of the fact that power supply to his residence had been severed for non-payment of bills. Ganesh Devadiga, lineman attached to Brahmavar sub-divison of Mescom, who was armed with an order to cut power supply to consumers who had outstanding bills, had severed power connection of the residential quarters of the sub-inspector in question. A sum of Rs 994 was pending payment in respect of power consumed by the official residence of Girish Kumar.
The sub-inspector summoned the lineman, Ganesh, to meet him at the police station. Ganesh, who was busy with other official duties, failed to visit the station. Girish Kumar then got angry, and sent a police constable to Mescom office with instruction to bring Ganesh to the station. Sensing that the situation is hotting up, Mescom branch manager, Diwakar Aithal, and Brahmavar branch II in-charge, Kamalaksha, and other employees went to the police station along with Ganesh Devadiga. Once they reached the police station, the sub-inspector reportedly behaved arrogantly with them, hurled angry words at them, and threatened to book them under various provisions of law relating to sexual assault on women and theft.
The Mescom officials tried to convince the SI that Mescom is facing severe shortage of staff and hence it is very difficult fo them to individually contact its consumers before severing power supply for non-payment. But the SI told them that he will desist from paying the bill. At the same time, he is said to have warned that he will pursue this incident and book cases against vehicles in which the linemen move about.
The Mescom officials then complained to Brahmavar police circle inspector (PCI), Gopal Naik, against the SI, duly telling him that the police officer had warned them of creating problems for them out of his anger against disconnecting power supply to his quarters. They also expressed surprise at the fact that even government employees doing their duty are being threatened by the SI, duly wondering what would be the condition of commoners seeking his services. They have also endorsed copies of their complaint to the state home minister, power minister, office of the district superintendent of police and district deputy commissioner, it is learnt.