Doctor accused of sexual misbehaviour ends life, VHP calls for hartal

Dr Krishnamurthy was reported missing by his wife on Tuesday: Special Arrangement

Kasaragod: Badiadka police have charged five persons, including two IUML leaders, with abetment of suicide after a dental doctor was found dead near Udupi railway station.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a rightwing Hindu organisation, has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Badiadka panchayat on Friday demanding action against those responsible for the death of the doctor.

Dr S Krishnamurthy (57), a dentist practising in Badiadka, was found dead on Thursday. Police said the body was shredded into pieces after being hit by a train. His wife reported Dr Krishnamurthy missing on Tuesday (November 8).

Before the missing person complaint was filed, a 32-year-old woman had filed a complaint against the doctor accusing him of sexually misbehaving with her, said police.

Around 11 am on Tuesday, five persons went to the doctor's clinic in Badiadka and asked him to apologise to the woman publicly for misbehaving with her. The dental doctor reportedly told the group that he would need time to think over it.

The group of five men left the clinic and returned after half an hour and confronted Dr Krishnamurthy again. They also reportedly threatened to make the woman file a police complaint if he did not publicly apologise.

That's when the doctor left the clinic on his motorcycle, said an officer.

Around 3 pm on Tuesday, the doctor's motorcycle was found at Kumbla railway station, 18km from Badiadka.

After the motorcycle was found, the victim approached the Badiadka police and filed a complaint of sexual abuse against Dr Krishnamurthy.

His wife then filed a missing person complaint. Police registered both cases.

On Thursday morning, the Brahmana Sabha, an orgnaisation of Brahmins, took out a protest march to Badiadka police for not finding the missing doctor. The organisation also demanded action against those who threatened him.

Later in the evening, police found the doctor's body at Udupi railway station, 100km away, in Karnataka.

Badiadka station house officer Aswith S Karanmayil said five persons were charged with Section 306 (abetment of suicide) and arrested.

The accused were identified as Muhammed Haneefa alias Anwar Ozone, former panchayat member and secretary of IUML's Badiadka panchayat unit; Ali Thuppakkal, secretary of IUML's Kumbadaje panchayat unit, Muhammed Shihabudeen of Annadukka in Kumbadaje panchayat, Ashraf of Kumbadaje, and Umarul Farook of Vidyagiri.

Badiadka police said no untoward incidents were reported during the hartal.

All the shops in the market were closed but private vehicles were plying on the road. Another officer in Badiadka station said the hartal was in place only in the market. "Shops are open in the rest of the panchayat," he said.

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