KALABURAGI: In a tragic incident highlighting administrative failures, a 40-year-old library supervisor in Malakhed village of Sedam taluk in Kalaburgi district died by suicide a she allegedly had not received her salary for three months. Bhagyavathi Vishveshwarayya Aggimath was found hanging from a fan inside the library, which is run by the local gram panchayat. She is survived by her husband, daughter and son.
Sources said Bhagyavathi left a suicide note stating that non-payment of salary and harassment by officials led her to take the extreme step. The note explicitly described her plight and the relentless pressure she faced, in a direct indictment of the system.
The incident exposed glaring lapses in the management of public institutions in the region. Local residents said Bhagyavathi had repeatedly approached authorities over her unpaid salaries, but was met with indifference and intimidation. Her suicide note specifically cited that “three months of unpaid wages” and “psychological torment” from officials as reasons for her decision.
Following the tragedy, family members, relatives and community leaders protested outside the library, demanding immediate compensation for the bereaved family and action against those responsible. The protesters accused the administration of apathy and negligence.
The family and protesters said reforms are needed in the administration to prevent such tragedies in future.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
BJP seeks CBI investigation, calls incident govet-sponsored murder
BJP has demanded that a CBI probe be ordered into the death of a library supervisor in Kalaburgi district on Monday. “It is not a suicide. It is a government-sponsored murder,” Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka told reporters here on Tuesday. He said the 40-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide as she did not receive her salary for three months. In a note, she mentioned the reasons for her decision to take the extreme step.
Government employees staged a protest seeking justice to the woman as the government attempted to hush up the case, the BJP leader alleged. Stating that the government has become bankrupt, Ashoka said bills of contractors have not been cleared for a long time. Microfinance companies are harassing people, including farmers, who have borrowed money. Over 300 farmers died by suicide due to the delay in granting them compensation for crop loss.
The BJP leader accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of fixing “targets” for his ministers to raise funds for the Congress to meet its poll expenses in Bihar. The ministers have been told to raise crores of rupees if they want to remain in the cabinet after January, he said. Stating that a “revolution” is on in the Congress, Ashoka said the government will soon collapse.