Telangana Employees JAC Demands Sacking of Excise Commissioner For Abusing Deputy Commissioner

Hyderabad: The Telangana Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) has demanded the immediate suspension of excise commissioner C. Harikiran for allegedly abusing Nizamabad excise deputy commissioner V Somi Reddy, which reportedly led to him collapsing in the office.

The demand followed a video message posted by Somi Reddy from his hospital bed on Saturday, which went viral on social media platforms. In the video, he stated that he fell ill and had to be hospitalised after being subjected to abusive and humiliating remarks by the commissioner. He also announced his decision to quit his job, citing unbearable humiliation.

Condemning the incident, JAC chairman Lachireddy and secretary general Odanala Rajasekhar said Somi Reddy was a dedicated officer who had served the excise department for over 30 years, and termed the alleged abuse unwarranted and deeply distressing. They questioned the authority of a senior official to use derogatory terms against their juniors, stating that while departmental action could be taken in case of lapses, humiliating employees publicly was unacceptable and damaging to their morale.

They asserted that no senior officer has the right to insult employees or jeopardise their dignity and well-being. The JAC urged the state government and department concerned to respond immediately, constitute a special committee to probe the incident, and remove the excise commissioner to ensure a fair and transparent inquiry.

The JAC also announced that it would meet Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, excise minister Jupally Krishna Rao and the Chief Secretary to press for action and implementation of safeguards to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

In his emotional video message, Somi Reddy said he was abused with words like “fool” and “useless fellow” in the commissioner’s chamber in front of four officials and staff. The humiliation after decades of service left him shaken, and he collapsed outside the chamber before being rushed to hospital by colleagues. Somi Reddy also expressed anguish over the silence and fear among fellow officials when he sought to question the alleged misconduct. Recalling the ideals of self-respect, he said he believed dignity was more important than employment and, after consulting his family, decided to resign from service.