AP Tourism deputy director assaults women for asking him to wear a mask

Nellore : A deputy manager working with the Andhra Pradesh tourism department in Nellore district, was caught on CCTV camera brutally assaulting a female contract worker for asking him to wear a facial-mask. The incident occurred on 27 June inside the office, but came to light on June 30 following a police complaint. The deputy manager has been suspended and his arrest followed.

According to the complainant filed on June 27, the accused, C. Bhaskar (43) , deputy manager, AP Tourism Hotel in Dargamitta, was found in conversation with a senior accountant Narasimha Rao, without wearing a mask. Following this, the complainant, a female contract worker in the same office, advised him to wear a mask. Bhaskar, who holds a grudge against the woman employee due to earlier conflicts, abused her and even resorted to physical attack. Bhaskar reportedly pulled the woman employee out of her chair and beat her with a stick even as other staff members remained witness to the incident, the complaint stated.

A Deputy Manager serving in the AP's Tourism department in #Nellore district, brutality assaulted a women staffer for asking him to wear a facial-mask. The incident occurred on Saturday, however came to light on Tuesday when a police complaint was filed. pic.twitter.com/BLpirihkJe

— NewsMeter (@NewsMeter_In) June 30, 2020

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Tourism minister Avanthi Srinivas responding to the complaint said that it was unacceptable. “We have initiated the process of suspending the officer and also asked the police to register a case under relevant sections and ensure the strictest action possible against him,” he added.

#JUSTIN: Deputy Manager with AP's Tourism Department, C Bhaskar who was caught on camera assaulting a women staffer, has been arrested. The man dragged the lady by her hair, used stickes and abused her with filthy language, because she asked him to wear a facial mask. pic.twitter.com/1PoWOHvmeO

— NewsMeter (@NewsMeter_In) June 30, 2020

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The Nellore Police have booked against the deputy manager under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by means of any instrument), 355 (using criminal force to any person, intending thereby to dishonor that person) of the Indian Penal Code.

Andhra Pradesh- Director General of Police Gautam Sawang said "Crime against women is unacceptable. We condemn the Nellore incident and action has been taken against the accused for manhandling the lady official. Nellore police have booked the case as soon as they got to know about the incident." The Disha police station in Nellore has taken up the case for investigation.