Panchayat official booked for locking woman denied house under LIFE Mission inside office in Kasaragod

Kasaragod: Police on Saturday registered a case against the Mogralputhur Panchayat Village Extension Officer (VEO) for locking a beneficiary of the LIFE Mission scheme, who was denied a house under the project, in the office. As per the complaint, Savithri of Kottavalappu reached the office demanding her documents be returned after she was denied a house under the scheme when VEO M Abdul Nasar locked her inside the office and went out. The door was opened only after the Health Education Standing Committee chairperson Pramila Majal and others raised a commotion.

Meanwhile, VEO Abdul Nasar lodged a complaint with Kasaragod Town police against Pramila, Savithri and Usha alleging they obstructed him from his official duty. According to Savithri's application, their old house was demolished after authorities informed her she had a house under the LIFE Mission scheme. However, the authorities later said the beneficiary had changed.

Savithri, who visited the office several times, approached the VEO requesting all her documents, which she had submitted for the house, be returned. However, an argument broke out between the VEO and Savithri after the former refused to hand over the documents related to the contract. According to Abdul Nasar, it is not Savithri, but her son Vishnu's name that is on the landless and homeless list. He also said Savithri's complaint that he locked her in the office is baseless.