Yadgir, 5 May

A Gram Panchayat member and her brother allegedly attacked a Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) with chilli powder and assaulted him with a slipper in Doranhalli village, Shahapur taluk on Monday

The victim, Devaraj Rangappa Chalavadi, PDO of Doranhalli Gram Panchayat, was en route to a gram sabha meeting concerning housing allocation on Saturday. He was accompanied by pump operator Bheemaray Kambar on a scooter when the alleged assault occurred.

According to Devaraj’s complaint, Tayamma Srikant Teganoor, a Gram Panchayat member, and her brother Manjunath Basappa Anwar, confronted the duo, threw chilli powder into his eyes, and Tayamma struck him on the face and back with a slipper. The attack reportedly caused injuries and obstructed Devaraj from performing his official duties. A case has been registered at Shahapur Police Station.

In a counter-complaint filed at the same station, Tayamma has accused PDO Devaraj and seven others of caste-based harassment and insult. The accused in her complaint include Panchayat President Chandravati Dore, Vice President Eeranna Kasan, and members Arif Math, Mahantagouda Nandikol, Vijaykumar Malagonda, and Siddanna Desai.