Bangalore University (BU) vice-chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev is embroiled in another controversy as the Jnana Bharathi police have booked a case against him for allegedly causing mental torture to an executive engineer, leading to his hospitalisation due to cardiac arrest.
N Puttaswamy, who has been treated at a private hospital since last week, has accused Dev of torturing him after he complained against the V-C for stalling the Rs11-crore project work at the upcoming PG centre at Kolar.
In his complaint, 52-year-old Puttaswamy said the BU appointed Shivraj, a class-I contractor, for the project that started in 2008. A few months ago, Shivraj abruptly stopped the work, demanding revised remuneration. Objecting to his demand, Puttaswamy, who is in-charge of the project, complained to the V-C and suggested to recover the rise in project cost due to the delay—which caused BU a loss of Rs1.5 crore—from the contractor.
Dev appointed a superintendent from the PWD and took away the project work from Puttaswamy for complaining against the contractor. Subsequently, governor HR Bhardwaj appointed retired high court judge Shivshankar Bhatt to investigate the matter. Two months ago after probing the matter, the commission recommended that Puttaswamy should continue the work.
Enraged by this, Prabhu Dev started torturing Puttaswamy by withholding payments to contractors and daily-wage labourers working for Puttaswamy. “He not only refused to pass the payments bill of the completed work, but also stopped even clearing my conveyance for the past two months which is around Rs14,000,” said Puttaswamy.
“He has been harassing me for the past one-and-half years ever since I complained against the delay in the Kolar PG centre project,” he added.
“If I was at fault, then why Prabhu Dev has not complained to the syndicate and issued a notice,” he asked, adding that he is ready to face any action if he is found guilty.
Puttaswamy suffered a heart attack on Thursday and has been hospitalised. Meanwhile, Dev, refused to comment on this issue. Jnana Bharathi police inspector Lakshminarayana Prasad said the police have taken up a complaint and are investigating.
