Shivamogga Traffic head constable allegedly commits suicide; blames colleague of harassment in death
Shivamogga: The head constable of Shivamogga Traffic Police Station (West), Muhammad Zakaria, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the police station on Wednesday night.
The 55-year-old head constable has left behind a death note, accusing a colleague of harassing him, adding that he had developed health problems due to this.
Zakaria had returned to work three days ago after taking leave for a few days.
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On Wednesday night, he reportedly returned to the police station after duty near the Shivamogga Bus Stand. He went to the cells situated behind the stations, where he allegedly hanged himself.
Superintendent of Police Nikhil B and other senior officers, who were informed of the matter, rushed to cells for an inspection.
Zakaria, in his death note, has stated that he worked diligently as a policeman for 26 years but the Head Constable 131 Nasir Ahmad in their police station was harassing him and fighting with him for a year now. He also accused Ahmad of tarnishing his image even when he was on duty for the Prime Minister’s visit to Udupi. Such harassment had pained him greatly and also led to health problems,” the constable added.
Clarifying that he would not share matters related to work with his family members, Zakaria added that he had informed his younger brother Adil about the fights with Ahmad. “Ahmad also spoke in a derogatory manner with Radha Madam and Kavitha Madam, questioning my diligence and asking them why I had been posted in this police station. I am severely upset by this and have decided to commit suicide. Nasir Ahmad (HC 131) alone is responsible for my death,” he has specified.
When asked about the matter, SP Nikhil B admitted that Zakaria was battling health issues. The constable had forwarded the death note in the WhatsApp group, where it is stated that the police station staff used to harass him. Zakaria’s family members have been informed of the matter. Investigation will be carried out after they file a complaint, he added.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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11k litres of milk poured into Narmada river after religious event; environmentalists see red
Sehore (PTI): Around 11,000 litres of milk were poured into Narmada river, often called the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh, in Sehore district on the culmination of a 21-day religious event as part of a sanctification ritual, prompting environmentalists to flag its negative impact on the ecosystem.
The event concluded at Satdev village in Bherunda area, located about 90 km from the district headquarters, with a 'mahayagna' on Wednesday.
The milk was offered to the river as part of rituals and prayers for the purity of the waters, the well-being of pilgrims and prosperity, organisers said.
The milk was brought in tankers to the riverbank and later poured into the flowing water amid chanting of mantras in the presence of a crowd of devotees.
However, environmentalists raised concerns over the practice, warning of its potential ecological impact.
"Such large quantities of organic matter can deplete dissolved oxygen in water, adversely affecting the river ecosystem. These impact local communities dependent on the river for drinking water and threaten aquatic life as well as domestic animals," noted environmentalist and wildlife activist Ajay Dube said.
Religious offerings should be symbolic and mindful, he asserted.
Renowned environmentalist Subhash Pandey said 11,000 litres of milk acts as a significant organic pollutant.
"It is highly oxygen-demanding and can lead to oxygen depletion, aquatic mortality, eutrophication (process of plants growing on river surface) and loss of potability. These effects are predictable from dairy-effluent chemistry and have been documented in similar incidents worldwide," Pandey pointed out.
Narmada originates at Amarkantak in the state and traverses 1,312 km westward to Maharashtra and Gujarat, emptying into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest west-flowing river in the peninsula, passing through a rift valley, and acts as a crucial water source for irrigation in MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
