Local political goon harassed hero Army officer's family in Bengaluru; arrested

When a local panchayat member can summon 10 to 15 local goons and get a local television channel broadcast a one-sided story, imagine the horrors of the opposite side. The fact that this happened with the widow of a nation's hero who laid down his life, fighting terrorists only makes the situation all the more unfortunate and infuriating.

The family was given a petrol pump by the Govt of Karnataka and HPCL in recognition of Late Col Jojan Thomas's ultimate sacrifice for the nation

A post by Meghana Thomas, daughter of Late Colonel Jojan Thomas (Ashok Chakra), caught the attention and wrath of social media when she shared what her mother went through.

"My father laid down his life serving this nation on 22/08/08 fighting terrorists at Machchal Sector (Kupwara). He came home wrapped in the tricolour," says Meghna adding, "10 years later, the Govt. of Karnataka & HPCL honoured my dad's sacrifice by giving my mother a petrol pump Col Jojan Thomas MSS, Hasigala (Hoskote). She has been running it successfully for the past four years putting in her best efforts."

However, it was on the 23rd of October, posts Meghna, "A bunch of goons led by Manjunatha Gowda a local panchayat member in Hasigala, and a regular customer of the pump came in to get his brand new mini lorry filled up. He topped his brand new vehicle with 189 litres of fuel and started an argument saying his tank capacity was only 180 litres." Adds Meghna, "The fuel capacity of his lorry was later found to be more than 190 litres and HPCL officials and weight and measures department came and did a detailed check and found the quality and quantity at par with the required measure." A regional TV channel was quick to share the bytes and report the incident without establishing the facts or waiting for the reports.

When IBTimes contacted Meghna, wife of an army officer currently based in Assam, she voiced her concern for the safety of her brother and mother and the security of the staff. "He lives opposite the petrol pump and is a regular customer, even though he has never paid on time. This time within a few minutes he comes back with 10 – 15 goons which were a call away and so was this local news channel."

She continues, "He lined up three to four vehicles in front of the pump and stopped the sales for a day. He beat the manager up. Even the most disgruntled customer does have the right to do that. He could have approached HPCL or gone to authorities. This petrol pump is running in the name of my father, my mother would never compromise on the quality and quantity of fuel."

An apology is not what she is looking at anymore. Just a lesson that hooliganism is going to land one right where one deserves to be. In the soup and at the receiving end of public and legal ire.

Adds Meghana, "Even as we speak, my mother is in police station lodging an FIR against him, though there's no dearth of people trying to dissuade my mother from reporting to the police because that local goon can anytime later be a threat to the petrol pump and my family members." At the time of filing of this copy, the accused had been arrested. This copy will be duly updated the moment there is any development on the issue.

Update on action taken: