After child’s death, constable claims he was denied leave; police personnel reject allegation

VIJAYAPURA: A police constable who was allegedly denied leave, claimed that his child, who was undergoing treatment in ICU, died on Monday night and that he could not be present during the final moments. However, after his post on a WhatsApp group created a storm, a staffer at the police station has claimed that he was allowed to visit the hospital even while on duty.

Constable Akbar S Bandugol is attached to the Gandhi Chowk police station in Vijayapura and his third son was born 4-5 days ago. But as the newborn was sick, it was kept in the ICU at a hospital in Bagalkot.

In a WhatsApp group of the Vijayapura district police, Akbar claimed that he was sent on duty to Belagavi on Monday and that he could not be present in the hospital when his child died and that nobody else should face such a situation. He had also posted a picture of the newborn undergoing treatment in the ICU.

Following this, the writer at the Gandhi Chowk police station claimed that Akbar had gone to Belagavi to deliver mail on March 1 and had called to say that he could not rejoin duty at the police station.

“Considering the child’s situation, we managed with other personnel. During rollcall the next day, Akbar had said that he was in hospital and he was recorded as being on duty in the station diary. He also did not submit any leave application, yet we have been managing with other personnel”, the writer posted.