Bengaluru: Taking full advantage of the recent suicides in the police department, some of the police staff managed to have their way by ‘blackmailing’ senior officers. Not wanting to take any chances, officers are reportedly considering such threats seriously.
Going a step ahead, senior police officers are arranging meetings with lower rung staff to hear their grievances. It is learnt that a constable, who was working in a police station in north division for many years, was transferred to other station in the city.
Hailing from Davanagere, the constable approached a senior officer in the state police chief office and requested the officer to transfer him to Davanagere.
When, the officer advised him to work for few more months in the city, the constable allegedly told the officer that he would take his life if he was not transferred to his home district. Startled by his stand, the officer issued orders transferring him to Davanagere.
In another instance, an inspector in the city who was suspended on charges of dereliction of duty, played the suicide card to get back to work. The inspector, who approached a senior officer, reportedly told him that his wife was depressed after he was suspended and she was threatening that she would commit suicide.
Even this case was considered seriously and the suspension was revoked within a month on humanitarian grounds.
A woman home guard too made use of the same tactic when senior officers visited her quarters for inspection. As she had reportedly not got her salary for the past three months, she told the visiting officers that she would end her life. The officers themselves gave her a few thousands from their own pockets to console her!
This trend is worrying the police top brass. To avert any more such suicides, senior officers are counselling the lower rung staff during weekly parades and are also holding grievances meet at police station levels and assuring them to solve their problems.
Roopa’s condition better, MP Shobha Karandlaje pays visit
Four days after the 32-year-old woman police sub-inspector Roopa Tambad allegedly attempted suicide by popping pills inside the Vijaynagar police station, alleging harassment by station inspector Sanjeev Gowda, Member of Parliament, Shobha Karandlaje met the SI at Suguna hospital on Saturday and wished her speedy recovery.
According to the police, Roopa’s condition was improving following which she has been shifted to ward from ICU.
On Friday, Roopa recorded her statement. According to sources Roopa said in her statement that “Inspector Sanjeev Gowda abused me in front of the accused and the other station staff members, which drove me to take an extreme step.” In her statement, she allegedly stated that she had written a letter to the city police commissioner around two weeks ago seeking a transfer, the source added.
Meanwhile, speaking to DC, Natraj, husband of Roopa said that he is contemplating filing a private complaint against the inspector. When asked what all charges will he press, Natraj, who is a lawyer himself refused to divulge any details. “I am consulting my friends and colleagues in this regard. Once things will be decided, I will tell everyone,” Natraj told this newspaper.
