Melanthabettu post office 'shifted', Casteist postmaster warned

[email protected] (CD Network)
February 6, 2011

Mangalore, February 6: Belthangady Circle Inspector Sudarshan said that the police have forced the postmaster of Melanthabettu village to shift the post office to a separate building and warned him against practicing casteism in the government office.


He was replying to DK SP A Subrahmanyeshwara Rao at the SC/ST grievance meet held on Sunday at SP office here.

While a Dalit representative raised his community's concern over the issue reported from Melanthabettu village of Belthangady taluk, where Dalits are allegedly denied entry into the post office, Mr Rao inquired the Inspector Sudarshan about the progress of the investigation.

According to Dalits, they were denied entry into the post office by the Brahin postmaster G Ravindra only because of their caste.

However, according to the postmaster, he did not practice casteism but did not allow anybody inside the post office only because it is located at his house, said Sudarshan who had visited the spot along with Sub Inspector Subbapur Mutt as part of the investigation.

“When we enquired him about the allegation of Dalit community, he replied that he was helpless as the office is situated inside his house” the Inspector said, adding: “That is why we forced the postmaster to change the office and warned him of strict action if the same practice was repeated in the new office.”

Describing the clarification of postmaster as “lie” a Dalit activist said that the post office was located in a separate building on the residential premises of the postmaster, and not inside his house.

SP Rao said that denying entry for a Dalit to any government office is a matter of grave concern and the police department will not neglect the allegation of practicing casteism at a post office.


“Shifting the office is not enough. It is our responsibility to investigate thoroughly into the previous allegation if somebody lodges a complaint”, he said adding that “Police would take appropriate action after consulting the postal department.”

Made Snana

When Anand S P, a member of Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (Ambedkarwada) expressed his concern over the continuity of 'Made Snana' at the Kukke Subrahmanya temple, SP Rao said a thorough investigation into the issue is underway under the supervision of Puttur ASP.

He also promised to take appropriate measures to stop the much criticised ritual being practiced in the historical muzrai temple.

Phone-in facility

The reintroduction of phone-in facility after a long gap enabled the SC/ST members to air their grievances at the meeting. SP Rao directly answered the various calls from different parts of the district.

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News Network
July 25,2020

Chennai, Jul 25: Two weeks after a 62-year-old widow accused him of harassment, including urinating outside her house, the Chennai Police on Saturday registered an FIR against ABVP national president Dr Subbiah Shanmugam.

Dr Shanmugam, Professor and HOD, Department of Surgical Oncology, Kilpauk Medical College and Government Royapettah Hospital, has been booked under sections 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) and 427 (mischief causing damage) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Prevention Act.

The FIR was lodged exactly two weeks after the woman’s relative Balaji Vijayaraghavan filed a complaint with the Adambakkam police accusing Dr Shanmugam of harassing his aunt, who is living alone in her apartment following her husband’s death last year, following an argument over a parking slot. 

The action came after Vijayaraghavan alleged that the police were not filing an FIR due to the ABVP functionary’s “political connections.”

Dr Shanmugam and the woman were living in the same apartment complex in Nanganallur and an argument broke between them over a parking slot.

“He wanted to use our parking lot. We agreed but demanded a nominal charge for using it. He was outraged by our demand and even broke our signboard at the parking lot,” Vijayaraghavan wrote in his complaint.

He also alleged that Dr Shanmugam began harassing her by throwing “pieces of chicken” outside her apartment despite knowing she is a vegetarian.

CCTV footage corroborates with the allegations of urinating outside the residence of the widow. However, the ABVP called the incident as a “malicious and derogatory propaganda” by the Congress’ student wing of NSUI.

"The video shared by NSUI with an allegation of harassment is tampered with and is being used with malafide intentions. The two families have discussed this within their housing society and have already concluded that the harassment allegations were caused due to misunderstandings and are untrue,” ABVP National General secretary Nidhi Tripathi said.

Vijayaraghavan also alleged in his two-page written complaint that the ABVP national president had urinated outside the woman’s apartment gate and had been throwing garbage and used masks at her gate.

In his complaint, Vijayaraghavan also said the family was “concerned about her safety” while asking police to take action against Dr Shanmugam, who he says, “has a bad track record in maintaining rapport with neighbours.”

Also Read: ABVP national president accused of harassing woman, urinating at her doorstep

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News Network
January 10,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 10: A person has been booked for forwarding provocative message on WhatsApp against the Dakshina Kannada Khazi Twaqa Ahmed Musliyar.

According to police, the accused Hassan forwarded provocative messages against the Khazi in a WhatsApp group on December 31, following which he was booked under several sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Mangalore North Police are looking into the matter. 

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News Network
June 9,2020

Dubai, Jun 9: A young NRI engineer in Dubai, who supported his pregnant spouse to file a plea in the Supreme Court of India for early repatriation from the UAE amid the coronavirus lockdown passed away in his sleep of suspected cardiac arrest.

The deceased identified as Nithin Chandran (28) and his wife Athira Geetha Sreedharan (27) had hit headlines in the past after the latter filed a writ petition seeking assistance to be repatriated to India, following the suspension of flights to the country, as she was due for the delivery of their first baby in the first week of July.

Chandran, a mechanical engineer was working at a construction firm in Dubai. According to the reports, he had stayed back in UAE after sending his wife home on the first day of repatriation from Dubai on May 7 under the Vande Bharat Mission.

The deceased was receiving the treatment for high blood pressure and a heart condition and is suspected to have died of a heart attack while asleep, his friend said. However, the exact cause of his death is yet to be known.

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