Mysuru panchayat CEO transferred for abetting doctor’s suicide

Mysuru (Karnataka), Aug 23 (IANS) The Karnataka government has transferred Mysuru Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prashanth Kumar Mishra without posting for allegedly abetting suicide of a Covid doctor at Nanjungud, an official said on Saturday.

“Mishra has been transferred from the executive post, as an inquiry has been ordered into the death of Nanjungud taluk health officer S.R. Nagendra, who is said to have committed suicide on August 20 due to alleged harassment by Mishra and work pressure to meet testing targets,” a district official told IANS.

“The local police also booked an abetment case against Mishra on a complaint by the 43-year-old doctor’s family, which alleged that Nagendra was under stress due to work pressure as a Covid warrior,” the official said.

Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram Shankar will hold the CEO post as an additional charge till further order.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday ordered an inquiry into Nagendra’s death and the role of Mishra in driving the doctor to commit suicide.

The district regional commissioner has been directed to conduct the inquiry into the circumstances that led to the tragic death and submit a report to the state government in a week.

“Yediyurappa also announced Rs 50-lakh compensation to the bereaved family and assured its members to give a government job to the doctor’s widow,” said the official.

The doctor was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his home Alanahalli on Thursday. The police, however, did not find any suicide note in the house.

“As Nagendra was on Covid duty at the state-run hospital in Nanjungud, his wife stayed with her daughter in her parents’ house at Mysuru to avoid being infected by the corona virus,” the official added.

–IANS

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