Karnataka man cuts teacher’s nose after children pluck few flowers
The anganwadi centre, operated by the women and child development department for the past 20 years, is situated in a rented block owned by the accused
Belagavi A man chopped off the nose of an anganwadi teacher in a fit of anger after her school children plucked flowers from his garden in Belagavi district, police said on Wednesday, adding that the accused has been arrested.
According to police, the incident occurred on Tuesday at Basurte village in Belagavi district. The accused, Kalyani More, picked up a fight with the teacher Sugandha More (50) and chopped off her nose. A profusely bleeding Sugandha was admitted to a private hospital in Belagavi where she received a blood transfusion.
The anganwadi centre, operated by the women and child development department for the past 20 years, is situated in a rented block owned by the accused. During the interval at the school, the children visited Kalyani Morey’s garden and gathered some flowers. In response, the accused, armed with a sickle, chased them away. He then attacked the teacher.
Police Commissioner Siddaramappa said, “After shouting at the teacher for her careless act of leaving the children in the garden, he angrily brandished the sickle, and cut her nose.” He said the accused absconded after the incident but police arrested him on Wednesday. “Kakati police registered a case and arrested the accused based on the victim’s complaint.”
An official of the hospital where the teacher is admitted said, “The woman had a respiratory problem as a few nerves in the nose were cut. Now she is out of danger.”
Surgeons attending to the woman suggested that her severed nose could be reconstructed if the missing piece was brought to them. However, the womna’s relatives and neighbours, who admitted her to the hospital, said that they could not locate the missing piece at the scene of the incident.
Women and child development minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, in whose constituency, the incident happened, condemned the attack, assuring the victim’s family of support, including efforts to regularise her job. “I regret the cruel incident and condemn the heinous attack, which is yet another insult to the entire women’s community. The victim will be provided all possible help from the department,” Hebbalkar said.
In protest against the incident, hundreds of Anganwadi teachers and helpers boycotted work on Wednesday and held rallies in taluk headquarters, demanding strict action against the accused and seeking protection for them. Manda Nevagi, the president of the Belagavi Taluk Anganwadi Teachers’ and Helpers’ Association, urged the government to bear the victim’s medical expenses and regularise her job.