JOIN USHusband of deceased harassment victim stages protest
“Had she been deputed to any of the schools she had requested, I would not have lost my wife,” said S A Raghu, husband of the deceased education coordinator S V Roopa.
Roopa hanged herself to death on February 12 at her residence leaving behind a death note alleging harassment by Block Education Officer of T Narsipura Lokesh. Her husband Raghu, who is unable to come out of the trauma, staged a protest here on Saturday urging justice in the case.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Raghu alleged that no action was taken against the BEO responsible for his wife’s death. It is over a month since the suicide, but the education department has failed to initiate any action against the accused. It had instead ignored the case entirely, he alleged.
Demanding the suspension of the BEO, Raghu also sought for stringent action against him. He urged the authorities to examine the records of his wife and ascertain the truth. “She has directly alleged BEO Lokesh responsible for her death. Yet the authorities have remained oblivious,” he added.
Roopa who was deputed as an education coordinator at Lokesh’s office two years back, started complaining of the BEO’s harassment at home, 10 months after she started to work there. She however failed to take the matter to the higher officials, as she feared she might not be taken seriously. “I had told her to leave the job. But she did not listen to me,” he said. He said that Roopa had sought deputation to other schools as she could not tolerate work pressure as well the harassments from the BEO. “We had approached Deputy Director of Public Instruction B K Basavaraj on August 28, 2012 in this regard. Let alone paying heed to our demand, he threw our letter aside and asked us to leave. He even abused me for accompanying my wife to his office,” Raghu said. He alleged that Lokesh had even sexually harassed her and abused her in open meetings. Raghu who was working at Infosys, Mysore as system administrator till his wife’s death, has now quit his job. His three year old son Diganth stays with his parents at Kadur Taluk, Chikamagalur district.
Various forums and residents of Alanahalli extended support to the protest.
Sarvajananga Hitarakshana Vedike and Samajika Nyaya Rakshana Vedike in a joint press meet, urged strict action against alleged officers in education department. They said, Padma, a teacher at Alanahalli taluk government school was harassed by the headmaster Nanjundaswamy. They said that such developments in the education department was regretful and demanded that accused should be severly punished.
AC to start inquiry on April 2
Assistant commissioner of Mysore sub-division Basavaraj will conduct an inquiry into the suicide case of education coordinator Roopa, at the office of block education officer (BEO), T Narsipur on April 2 at 11 am.
Following instructions from deputy commissioner Ramegowda, the assistant commissioner will record the statements of persons willing to appear for inquiry on the said day.