Doctor suicide: After Mishra, Abhiram Sankar transferred

Bengaluru: Days after Mysuru Zilla Panchayat CEO Prashant Kumar Mishra was transferred in connection with the tragic suicide of Nanjangud taluk health officer Dr S R Nagendra, the Karnataka government has transferred Mysuru deputy commissioner Abhiram G Sankar. He has been replaced by B Sharat who served as Mandya Zilla Panchayat CEO.

Abhiram Sankar has been transferred as the joint director of Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in the city. Abhiram served in the capacity of deputy commissioner for a period of over two years. He took the charge as the Mysore deputy commissioner in April, 2018.

Abhiram Sankar also served as Raichur deputy commissioner and as CEO of the Mandya and Bidar Zilla Panchayats. Sankar was credited for efficient handling of cluster outbreaks in Nanjangud district of Mysuru in March. He was considered as a people's friendly officer.

Describing Sankar as an honest, upright and efficient IAS officer of the state BJP MP Pratap Simha tweeted, "The dearest DC of Mysuru, Abhiram Shankar has been transferred to ATI temporarily at his request. He will then serve at IAS training academy, Mussoorie. Take a bow Abhiram Sir, for all d good work hv done in Mysore."

The two transfers come in the wake of the suicide of Dr Nagendra who was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his home Alanahalli on August 19. The doctor's family and health officials in the district alleged that Nagendra had committed suicide due to alleged harassment by Mishra and work pressure to ramp up testing and meet "unreasonable" targets.

Earlier, IAS officers in Karnataka objected to the FIR filed against former Mysuru Zilla Parishad CEO P K Mishra for allegedly abetting the death of a doctor by suicide last week.

"Lodging an FIR on August 20 against Mishra for the death of Nanjungud health official S.R. Nagendra on August 19 has brought down the morale of field officers and such acts will deteriorate the administrative efficiency," Karnataka IAS Officers' Association secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey said in a statement here.