Vizag: Govt Official Alleges Senior Of Workplace Harassment, Throws Sand At Him

Andhra Pradesh Endowments Department Assistant Commissioner K Santi on August 7 barged into the office of her senior and threw sand at his face. She accused the Deputy Commissioner Pushpa Vardhan of workplace harassment.

The incident caught on CCTV camera shows K Santi entering the office of Pushpa Vardhan when there were other colleagues present inside. She was seen throwing sand at Vardhan. This was followed by a dialogue between the officials but the camera did not catch audio.

Santi has since alleged that Pushpa Vardhan has been harassing her and other subordinates of the Endowment department for the past few weeks. Talking to the media, Santi said that Vardhan would get news published on her work and call for inquiries without confronting her. She said, "Wherever I was carrying out evictions, inspections, or administrative work, he would focus on that and get articles published." According to K Santi, this made her answer to higher officials.

Assistant Commissioner K Santi also alleged that Vardhan suspended officials based on "personal grudges" without consulting her as per the protocol. She added that Vardhan had been interfering in employees personal affairs and harassing them.

Pushpa Vardhan was posted in Vishakhapatnam about a month ago. He had recently suspended the executive officer (EO) of Vishakhapatnam's Yernimamba Temple Srinivasa Raju, as per reports. As her Santi's statement, there was an inquiry called by the Regional Joint Commissioner where Vardhan was also summoned but he allegedly didn't show up.

Pushpa Vardhan, Deputy Commissioner, is also a member of the inquiry committee for the irregularities in land records of MANSAS and Simhachalam temple trust. He claimed that he had been involved in the committee for over a month and did not have a chance to know his subordinates.

He alleged, "I haven't been in Vizag since July 14. There was no scope for me to even talk to anyone. I came to the office only on Thursday. She (Santi) barged into my office and within seconds, spilled sand on me and began to verbally abuse me using profane language.”

The Deputy Commissioner has now asked for disciplinary action against K Santi from the Endowments Commissioner.

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