: Shedding tears, Basappa, who
received injuries from five bullets while discharging his duty as a contract labourer with the state forest department near Periyapatna forests, today sought government intervention to provide compensation to him as he has been immobile for for several months and unable to take care of his family.
"I humbly request the state government, especially Forest Minister Ramanath Rai, to provide compensation as I havebecome immobile for several months now and unable to tend to my family, after I sustained five bullet injuries in variousparts of my body," he told reporters here.
Basappa said that on December 31 last year, he and yet another forest personnel sustained injuries when the bullets fired to drive elephants away hit them at Ponnadahalli in Periyapatna taluka.
"I was admitted to Krishna rajendra Hospital at Mysuru fortreatment on the same day," he said.
Basappa said only one bullet was removed from his cheek, while four others remained in his leg and waist, which is affecting his day-to-day activities.
Neither the hospital authorities nor the forest department was of help, he said, adding he was the sole bread winner for his family.
Taking up Basappa's cause, Karnataka Karmika Kalyana Prathisthana, an official partner of Youth for Human Rights International, South Asia, office-bearers said they have requested Acting Chairperson and Member of Karnataka State Human Rights Commission Meera Saxena to take action against forest and medical officials.
Prathisthana General Secretary M M Mohammed Haneef said they had written a letter to provide support to Basappa, whose life is derailed because of immobility.
