VHP women's wing seeks arrest of Mangaluru Development Authority Commissioner

Durga Vahini, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on Tuesday demanded the immediate arrest of Mangaluru Urban Development Authority Commissioner Mansoor Ali, who is accused of allegedly harassing a woman staff at his office.

In a statement issued here, Swetha Adyapadi, the district convenor of Durga Vahini, also sought the officer’s suspension from the post. A protest will be staged before the MUDA office if urgent action is not taken against the accused, she warned. The woman who filed a complaint with the city police Commissioner has stated about the sexual, mental and physical harassment meted out to her by the officer, Adyapadi said.

VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell also urged the authorities to initiate appropriate legal action against the official immediately. Based on a complaint from the woman, an outsourced employee working as a typist at MUDA office, police on Sunday registered a case under Sections 354 and 354 A of IPC. The case is currently under investigation, police said.

Meanwhile, the accused Mansoor Ali visited the Urwa police station on Monday and submitted his statement to the investigating officer. He alleged the woman had filed the complaint out of personal animosity after he asked her to file a detailed report of the general body meeting of MUDA, which she had earlier submitted without sufficient details. She was told to improve her work, failing which she might be removed from her job, Ali said.