Acid attack victim ‘safe’ now

DHNS

• Police have beefed up security after the incident; stir enters sixth day

Hassan, 01 September 2010: Police have beefed up security arrangements near Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) on Tuesday, following acid attack on a retrenched woman employee on Monday night. 

 
Some miscreants threw acid on Manjula (24) when she had gone to toilet. Luckily, the acid fell on her chest portion causing her minor injuries. The miscreants fled the scene when she raised an alarm. Responding to her,  the agitating employees immediately rushed her to the district hospital. Manjula alleged that secretary, Department of Medical Education, I M Vittalmurthy was behind the incident. “It was aimed at snubbing the indefinite stir”, she charged.

The doctors attending on her told reporters that Manjula has suffered only five per cent burns and she was out of danger. She may recover in the next two weeks, they added.

Meanwhile, the ongoing day and night dharna by the retrenched employees entered sixth day on Tuesday. Manjula’s husband is working as a conductor in KSRTC. The agitating employees have demanded security from the district administration. In fact, Deputy Commissioner Naveen Raj Singh had promised to provide security on Monday and the acid attack took place on the same night. “We want not only job security but also security for life”.

KRRS President Kodihalli Chandrashekar met the agitating employees and demanded Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to tender apology for relieving more than 300 newly-recruited staff of both Mysore and Hassan Medical Colleges. He said the government has erred. There was no mistake of the employees but they have been victimised. Firstly, the government should have found out where mistake has been done. If it has happened at official or minister level, the government should have taken strong action against the guilty.

Whatever the government has done is ‘unpardonable’. Sakleshpur MLA H K Kumaraswamy also met the agitators and extended his support for the cause.