A delegation of senior Congress leaders including CLP leader Siddaramaiah, PCC President DK Shivakumar and opposition leader in Upper house BK Hariprasad and other leaders submitted a letter to Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Wednesday demanding minister KS Eshwarappa be dismissed over contractor Santosh Patil's death.
In a formal letter they have said, ''that .K.S.Eshwarappa must be dismissed from the Ministry of Government of Karnataka headed by Mr Basavaraj Bommai, secondly, they have called the governor to direct the concerned Police authority to take cognizance of the suicide of Santhosh K.Patil for the abetment of K.S.Eshwarappa and his aides. Thirdly, they asked the governor to intervene to register a Criminal Case punishable under Sec-306 of IPC and Sec-13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other provisions of law immediately and have K.S.Eshwarappa arrested in the interest of justice and equity.''
They recalled the facts of the case saying,'' Mr. Santhosh K Patil of Belagavi district was a Contractor and a National Secretary of Hindu Vahini. On 12-04-2022, he committed suicide in Shambhavi Hotel at Udupi after sending a message about his suicide through Social Media stating that K.S.Eshwarappa, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj is directly responsible for his death and for which he should be punished. Further, he had appealed to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and other Senior Leaders to help his wife and child.''
As per the said Whatsapp message and the letter dated: 11-3-2022 written by him to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of MoRD of Union Government, the main cause for his extreme step of committing suicide appears that he had carried out 108 government Contract works worth more than Rs.4 crores on or before 12-02-2021 in Belagavi district on the oral instruction of K.S. Eshwarappa, Minister for RDPR even without work orders from the concerned authorities. After completion of the said works, he neither got any work orders nor payment for the said works from the concerned authorities.
They said, whenever he approached the Minister and concerned Officials for the payment and for work orders, they insisted on receiving a commission stating that commission has to be paid first then only work order and payment will be made by them.
They said, ''To carry out the said 108 works, he had raised loans from the private money lenders on exorbitant interest rate thinking that once the works are completed payment will be made by the concerned authorities as assured by K.S.Eshwarappa. But even after completion of the said works and of several requests from him neither the Minister nor the Officials had responded to his genuine request."
"Having no other alternative, he had written the letters on 11-3-2022 to Prime Minister and also to Minister for union Rural Development, Giriraj Singh narrating the pathetic conditions of him and requested to direct the Karnataka State RDPR Minister or to the Principle Secretary, RDPR, Government of Karnataka to release payment and to issue work orders immediately, otherwise he will commit suicide. Apart from this letter he had approached BJP National Leaders Arun Singh and BL Santosh to help him.''
They said, ''In spite of the letters dated 11-3-2022 by the said person to the Prime Minister and MoRD Minister and the promises of the BJP Leaders no payments were made to him. Consequently, he was not in a position to repay the money and interest to the money lenders even though there were many demands from the money lenders. It appears due to a lot of pressures in this regard he and his friends went to Udupi and stayed in a Shambhavi Hotel where he has committed suicide after sending a Whatsapp message about his suicide wherein, he categorically stated that for his tragic death K.S. Eshwarappa would be mainly responsible and he must be punished. The said Whatsapp message is nothing but a death note of a deceased as per the provisions of law.''
They said, ''As per the said death note there was persistent and unabated harassment and acts of cruelty from KS Eshwarappa and his associates which amounts to abetment of suicide.''
They said,'' Contrary to the Oath taken as minister Mr.K.S.Eshwrappa and his allies have harassed the deceased for commission inhumanly and made him commit suicide.''
They said, ''the concerned Union Minister and BJP National Leaders have failed to give relief to the deceased person nor they have initiated any action to prevent the corruption in the State of Karnataka. The said incident is a tip of the iceberg in regard to corruption in Karnataka."
"An innocent person who had blindly believed K.S.Eshwarappa and his aides carried out more than 108 works estimated to Rs.4 crores without work orders from the authorities and he became a victim of vicious circumstances. KS Eshwarappa and his allies are mainly responsible for the suicide of Mr. Santosh K.Patil. Which is nothing but an offence punishable as per the provisions of law.''