Karnataka BJP Activist's Widow, Sacked From Government Job, To Be Reinstated

A day after the widow of killed  BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettar was sacked from service, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said Nutana Kumari will be reinstated, treating it as a special case.

Praveen Nettar was hacked to death in July last year.

Nutana Kumari was then appointed on contract on humanitarian grounds, as per the request of BJP state president and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.

The BJP government had on September 22, 2022 issued an order appointing her as senior assistant (Group C) at the office of the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Later, on Kumari's request, she was posted at the Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner's office and had reported to duty on October 14 last year.

The appointment order given at the time stated that she will be in service until the present chief minister is in office or until further orders.

On Friday, Nutana Kumari was sacked from service as she was on temporary service.

Following a hue and cry by BJP leaders, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted, "After a new government comes in, it is a natural process to dismiss the temporary employees who were appointed by the previous government from the government service." "Not only Praveen Nettar's wife, more than 150 contract workers have already been dismissed from service. There is no government interference in this," he added.

"Considering this as a special case, Nutana Kumari will be re-appointed on the basis of humanity," Siddaramaiah said.

The NIA, which is probing the murder case of Nettar, has arrested five people including Naufal (28), Sainul Abid (22), Mohammed Syed (32), Abdul Basheer (29) and Riyaz (27).

Bellare police in Sullia had registered a case under prevention of unlawful activities act in connection with the murder. The case was later transferred to NIA.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)