Staff suspended for pushing down devotee

Thrissur: The

Guruvayur

devaswom managing committee again on Thursday decided to suspend the devaswom security

staff

, C Sivasankaran, for allegedly pushing down an elderly woman devotee near the

temple

premises.

According to reports, the committee has also decided to shift the clerk in the devaswom insurance section, Jayasree, following complaints that she had rudely behaved with the relatives of the woman devotee.

The woman devotee, Kunjilakshmi (70) of Eramangalam in Malappuram, was allegedly pushed down by the security staff on the temple premises on July 20.

Her daughter-in law Rathnam who was also with her at the temple took her to the devaswom hospital where it was diagnosed that she had suffered fracture.

The managing committee had earlier decided to suspend both Sivasankaran and Jayasree following the complaints from the relatives of Kunjilakshmi and several Hindu organizations. But the decision was frozen within hours following intense protest from the pro-CPM union of the devaswom staff.

The union was mainly opposed to the suspension of Jayasree, as they said she had no role in the alleged pushing down of the devotee.

The decision to freeze the suspension of the two devaswom staff had triggered off another round protest, including a blockade against the administrator, by the relatives and members of Hindu organizations.

The managing committee has now decided to suspend Sivasankaran and to scale down the action against Jayasree to a departmental transfer.

Suresh Babu, the brother of Kunjilakshmi, said that though the decision to take action against those who were responsible for pushing down his sister, the devaswom had not yet decided on the family’s request for compensation for her. He pointed out that Kunjilakshmi, who belongs to a poor family, had to undergo surgery after she was pushed down at the temple.


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