Mangaluru, Jan 9: Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on Tuesday demanded the immediate arrest of Mangaluru Urban Development Authority Commissioner Mansoor Ali, who is accused of allegedly harassing a woman staff at his office.

In a statement issued here, Swetha Adyapadi, the district convenor of Durga Vahini, also sought the officer's suspension from the post. A protest will be staged before the MUDA office if urgent action is not taken against the accused, she warned.

The woman who filed a complaint with the city police Commissioner has stated about the sexual, mental and physical harassment meted out to her by the officer, Adyapadi said.

VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell also urged the authorities to initiate appropriate legal action against the official immediately.

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Based on a complaint from the woman, an outsourced employee working as a typist at MUDA office, police on Sunday registered a case under Sections 354 and 354 A of IPC. The case is currently under investigation, police said.

Meanwhile, the accused Mansoor Ali visited the Urwa police station on Monday and submitted his statement to the investigating officer.

He alleged the woman had filed the complaint out of personal animosity after he asked her to file a detailed report of the general body meeting of MUDA, which she had earlier submitted without sufficient details. She was told to improve her work, failing which she might be removed from her job, Ali said.

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New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Tuesday expressed her anguish over the alleged gang rape of a girl in Tamil Nadu and urged the National Commission for Women to take immediate cognisance of the matter.

In a post on X, Devi said, "Deeply anguished by this horrific incident. I urge the NCW to take immediate cognisance and act swiftly in coordination with the concerned authorities to ensure the strictest action against all culprits."

Devi said, "Justice must be swift and unsparing — the accused must be brought to book without delay," adding, "the safety, dignity, and justice of every daughter of India remain our highest priority."

"We stand firmly with the survivor and her family in this difficult hour," she said.

Reacting to a post by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who flagged concerns over the law and order situation in the state, Devi said such incidents "expose grave concerns" under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government.

Annamalai, in his post, alleged that a 15-year-old girl from Kanchipuram, who had come to participate in a temple festival near Seyyaru in Tiruvannamalai district, was gangraped.

He said the incident was "deeply shocking and enraging" to him and alleged that such crimes point to a "complete failure" of law and order in Tamil Nadu.

Annamalai demanded immediate arrest of all those involved and the "harshest punishments" for the accused.

He also called for full protection and mental health counselling for the survivor and her family.