Karnataka Minister Eshwarappa booked for abetment of suicide in Contractor’s death

Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa have been booked for abetment of suicide, under Section 306 of IPC, in connection with the death of a civil contractor who had accused the Minister of harassing him for “40% commission” to clear payment of about Rs 4 crore for road projects completed over a year ago.

The contractor, Santhosh Patil (40), is suspected of having consumed poison in the late hours of 11th April. He was found dead in a hotel in Udupi on the next day.

On Monday night, Patil purportedly sent text messages to his friends and journalists in Belagavi, alleging that Eshwarappa should be held responsible for his death. Late on Tuesday night, the Udupi town police station registered an FIR on the basis of a complaint filed by Patil’s brother, Prashant, which named Eshwarappa.

On Wednesday, the Opposition party Congress approached Governor Thawarchand Gehlot and sought Eshwarappa’s dismissal from the Cabinet and his arrest. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai confirmed that Eshwarappa had been booked for abetment and said he would speak to him and “discuss some issues.” 

“We need to have a discussion on the incident that has occurred and the FIR that has been registered,” the CM said. “The Opposition is trying to find fault in the matter, but an investigation will reveal the truth. We have to find out if there are any persons behind this incident. There is a lot of background to the incident, and it has to be investigated,” he further added.

Eshwarappa, however, is adamant about not resigning amidst uproar from opposition parties seeking his resignation. Eshwarappa said he is awaiting a full police investigation into the “conspiracy” that led to Patil’s death.

 While addressing a press conference in Shivamogga, the Minister said: “There is no question of resignation at all. The state party president, Nalin Kumar Kateel, and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have been informed about this. I want to tell the people of Karnataka that we have to conduct an exemplary investigation and find out who is behind this conspiracy. This is my demand. Who instigated Santhosh to do all this? Who sent him to Delhi? Who authored the death note for him? Only an investigation can reveal all this.”

 “There are no valid documents to show that a contract was awarded, so the department has said that a payment cannot be made. The state Congress president, D K Shivakumar, is making baseless allegations,” Eshwarappa said.

Meanwhile, Patil’s family members have refused to accept his body until the accused are arrested.

Patil, who identified himself as a national secretary of a group called Hindu Vahini, first raised the allegations against Eshwarappa in early March. On March 11, he wrote to PM Narendra Modi and Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh, alleging that Eshwarappa and his associates were harassing him for a “40% commission” to clear payment for road projects in the Hindalga gram panchayat area in Belagavi district. “…K S Eshwarappa told me to complete road work on 12-02-2021. We believed him and completed more than 108 works with a cost estimate of INR 4 crore,” he said in the letter.

Police sources said Patil had borrowed money and carried out the work without being awarded any official contract or state order by the government.

Eshwarappa had later claimed that he did not know Patil and filed a defamation case against him on March 14. In a reply sent to the Union Rural Development Ministry on March 28, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, L K Atheeq, said the department had “not received any request for sanction of works, nor has the government-sanctioned any works referred to by the complainant.”