Branding charge off, careless worker fired

COIMBATORE: An anganwadi worker who was charged with branding a three-year-old child in 2010, was recently dismissed from service by the Collector M Karunakaran.Even though a final inquiry committee failed to find evidence to prove that Barani Krithika, an assistant at the Kurichi anganwadi centre, had branded the child, the administration took action against her for “being careless at her workplace and allowing the child to enter the kitchen and touch a hot cooker”. Barani was accused of “branding” three-year-old Sudharshan, the son of Mythili Ramakrishnan, on December 21, 2010. Following a subsequent preliminary inquiry by the administration, Barani was placed under suspension. Meanwhile, an inquiry committee headed by the Deputy Tahsildar of Coimbatore North, failed to find evidence against Barani.However, the panel felt that it was because of the “carelessness shown by Barani  that the child was allowed to enter the kitchen and touch a hot cooker”. The panel’s report was recently submitted to the Collector. Based on the report, the collector dismissed Barani on Monday.On Tuesday, Barani, accompanied by 60 anganwadi workers, met the Collector and pleaded him to reconsider the decision.