Controversy erupts over Chief Engineer, Kerala Minister's staff 'fight' in secretariat

Thiruvananthapuram: A controversy has erupted after reports surfaced on Saturday that a chief engineer and the staff of Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine was engaged in a brawl at the office of the minister.

The incident occurred on Thursday, when Alappuzha Irrigation department chief engineer Shyamgopal and Roshy Augustine's assistant private secretary S. Premji had a tiff in the office of the Minister in the state secretariat, here.

In a complaint to his higher ups, Shyamgopal said he came to meet Minister, who was not present and seeing him in the cabin, Premji asked him to get out after which the brawl erupted.

Shyamgopal claimed that he got injured and had to seek medical attention.

However, Premji in his complaint to Augustine has accused Shyamgopal of starting the brawl.

Meanwhile, Roshy Augustine has said that he has received the complaints.

Shyamgopal and Premji did not have the best of relations for a while and the brawl was a fallout of their previous difference of opinion, sources said.