Fearing Transfer, Officer Attempts Suicide In Siddaramaiah's Constituency

A gram panchayat secretary in the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's constituency, Varuna, attempted to die by suicide after reports of her possible transfer. Divya, a grade-1 panchayat secretary collapsed at her office after allegedly consuming nearly 15 tablets, including Paracetamol, a pain relief and fever medicine.

According to officials and panchayat members, Divya has served as the Varuna Panchayat Secretary for the past two years. Tension reportedly began when a Grade-1 Secretary from another gram panchayat, allegedly sought to secure a transfer into Divya's position. Panchayat members claim he had been lobbying with senior officers to replace her.

On November 20, the Executive Officer (EO) paid a surprise visit to the Varuna Panchayat office to allegedly reopen a six-month old complaint, accusing Divya of not performing her duties properly.

The inquiry was conducted in the presence of panchayat members, who unanimously defended Divya, stating she had been working efficiently and questioned the motive behind reviving a long-forgotten complaint.

The same day, Divya, allegedly distressed by the possibility of a transfer, swallowed around 15 tablets inside her office and collapsed.

In a video from the office, Divya is seen lying unconscious in her office chair while two female colleagues attempt to wake her up and lift her. More staff join and together take Divya to the Kaveri Hospital in Mysuru.

The Varuna Police, along with the panchayat officials are investigating the case.

Divya has not registered any official complaint yet in the case. Cops are likely to meet her once again in the hospital today to check if she wants to file a complaint. 

Varuna being the home constituency of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has drawn further attention to this incident.