Kundapur: Journalist attacked for exposing misdeeds of gram panchayat leaders

Kundapur: Journalist attacked for exposing misdeeds of gram panchayat leaders

Mangalore Today News Network

Kundapur: The Udupi reporter of Vijayavani Kannada daily was allegedly attacked by three persons on the night of February 2, Saturday.

The incident took place at around 10 pm, when the reporter Sripathi Hegde Haklady was on way home  to Haklady in his two-wheeler. It is reported that three persons intercepted him,  abused and attacked him. They even reportedly threatened to kill the journalist.

Two of the assailants have been identified as Adikekodlu Udaykumar Shetty, Vice President of Vandse Gram Panchayat and Thotebailu Santosh Shetty. It is suspected that the attack was an act of  revenge as Sripathi in his reports had exposed the misdeeds of the two assailants. According to sources, Sripathi’s report had mentioned about  the irregularities resorted  by Udaykumar Shetty in grabbing the post of president of the gram panchayat, which was actually reserved for an SC woman, and eventually settled for the post of vice president . The irregularities had led to the DC’s intervention with him personally  supervising the elections, the report by Sripathi had stated.

Even the misdeeds of another accused Santosh Shetty when he was the Hattiangady gram panchayat President, had been exposed.

The journalist, it is learnt,  was lucky enough as he was able to escape from the assailants. He however, has suffered some injuries. Search for the accused is on.

Meanwhile, the Kundapur Taluk Working Journalists’ Association has strongly condemned the attack on a fellow scribe and demanded  the arrest of the assailants at the earliest.