Constable dismissed for staging protest

Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Reddy on Sunday dismissed N Ramakrishna, a constable attached to the District Armed Reserve (DAR), from service with immediate effect, citing dereliction of duty.

The dismissal order said that by staging a protest on Saturday, Ramakrishna had violated the law and hindered the functioning of the department.

Constables were directed to refrain from striking work after the government threatened to invoke Esma against them if they go ahead with the strike called by Karnataka Police Mahasangha. But Ramakrishna, a DAR constable, went ahead and staged a lone protest. He was soon taken into custody for violating the police rules.

Ramakrishna told DH that he tried to draw the attention of the government towards the injustice being meted out to constables at work place. He said that his attempt to submit a memorandum and grab the attention of the government was misconstrued as protest and was fired from job. “My gesture has been treated as a protest and disobedience and I have been dismissed from service,” he said.

He alleged that DAR sub-inspectors Somanna and Somashekhar have been harassing the constabulary.

“Those who are collecting ‘hafta’ are favoured. The vacant posts of drivers are being filled through lottery and not on seniority basis. Several complaints lodged in this regard to SP Sudhir Kumar Reddy have failed to elicit any response,” he lamented.

Ramakrishna said he would take the legal route against the dismissal order.