Mysore: Female IAS official manhandled, 19 arrested

Mysore, Oct 16: Nineteen former contract employees of Administrative Training Institute (ATI) here were arrested today in connection with the assault on an IAS official after she dug out alleged irregularities.

ATI Director General Rashmi Mahesh was roughed up by a group of former contract employees of the institute when she came to pay her last respects to a catering manager, whose body was found in a sump at the Institute campus in a suspected suicide case.

The officer was manhandled by the group which blamed her for the death of 53-year-old Venkatesh alleging that he was being harassed by her.

"We have arrested 19 former contract employees of the institute for allegedly assaulting Rashmi," Home Minister K J George told reporters after the cabinet meeting here.

The assault took place on the institute premises after the body of Venkatesh (53) was brought back after post-mortem, he said. Police have suspended a Sub-Inspector and an inquiry was on into the assault, he said.

Police have booked the accused for allegedly rioting and manhandling the IAS officer, Mysore Commissioner of Police Dr M A Saleem told PTI here.

Saleem said the officer was allegedly attacked by the accused, comprising contract employees, who were removed from service earlier this month and they accused Rashmi of harassing the deceased.

Venkatesh, who stayed in the ATI’s residential quarters, was found dead in the sump yesterday, Saleem said. Speaking to reporters, Rashmi, who is known as an upright officer, said it was a pre-meditated assault. Rashmi accused the contract catering employees of being responsible for the attack.

"I have been been targeted for trying to stem the rot in the ATI by cancelling the catering contract," she said.

PTI