Vijayapura SDA dies, wife alleges harassment by three TMC members; abetment to suicide case filed

BENGALURU: Vijayapura police under Doddaballapura sub-division of Bengaluru district have filed a case of abetment to suicide against three Vijayapura town municipal council (TMC) members in connection with the death of a 38-year-old second division assistant (SDA) at the TMC office. The SDA has been identified as Pavan R Joshi of Brahmin Beedhi in Hoskote. The case was registered based on a complaint by Pavans wife Ananya Joshi, 32, against Hanif Ullah, JN Srinivas and Muniraju, members of the TMC.She accused them of pressuring her husband to create fake khatas. Because of the pressure from them, he suffered from severe mental stress and high BP,shestated in her complaint filed on Wednesday. Leader of Opposition in legislative Assembly R Ashoka has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara to order a probe by a Special Investigating Team into the death of Pavan. Pavan worked as SDA for nine years in the TMC office. In her complaint, Ananya stated that she married Pavan 13 years ago and they have a 10-year-old son. Around 10am on Sunday, my husband left home for socio-economic and educational survey inthetown. Around noon, I received a call stating my husband suddenly collapsed while on duty and he was being taken to Suviksha Hospital. I, along with my mother-in-law, rushed to the hospital. By then, my husband was shifted to Manasa Hospital in Devanahalli. Later, we shifted him to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru for advanced treatment. But he did not recover and passed away on Wednesday morning, she stated. My husband told me many times about the harassment by the three TMC members, she stated.Ananya refused to cremate the body till an FIR was registered against the three accused. She told reporters that Hanif used to allegedly abuseher husband in filthy language.The SDA reportedly died of brain hemorrhage. Investigations are on and no arrests have been made so far, said a police officer.