Activist says he wasassaulted by GP staff

A social activist has said that a panchayat worker assaulted him in Bhooranaki village near Khanapur in Belagavi district.

Jyotiba Bendigeri, a RTI activist and social worker, heard that the gram panchayat office in Bhooranaki village was closed and no officer was available. He went to the office on Thursday to confirm it.

He found it locked and he took pictures and recorded a short video of the closed office. He sent the pictures and videos to senior officers of the zilla panchayat.

Ashfaq Jamadar, computer operator of the gram panchayat, who was sitting at a nearby shop, heard of this and tried to stop Mr. Bendigeri from sending the pictures to the senior officers.

But Mr. Bendigeri did not stop and sent the files anyway. Mr. Jamadar abused Mr. Bendigeri and pushed him around. He threatened to teach him a lesson for insulting the gram panchayat staff and getting them into trouble.

Mr. Bendigeri has lodged a complaint against Mr. Jamadar at the Nandagad Police Station.