contractor death
Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa ruled out resigning from the Karnataka Cabinet, but urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to order a comprehensive investigation into the death of civil contractor Santosh K. Patil.
On April 13, the Minister told mediapersons in Shivamogga that he had spoken to BJP’s State president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. “I will meet the Chief Minister in a day or two, and explain everything in detail in person,” he said.
Alleging a conspiracy in the contractor’s death, Mr. Eshwarappa demanded a probe to identify the people who hatched this plot. “I don’t want to describe the (WhatsApp) message being circulated (on social media) as a death note. The probe should find out who created that message.”
Since no note was found in the room where the body of Santosh Patil was found, he will not accept the WhatsApp message being circulated as the death note of the civil contractor, the Minister told journalists in Shivamogga.
The Minister learnt about the death of Santosh Patil while attending a programme in Mysuru. “Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also called me at the same time. When I asked him about the death note, he only told me it was not found with the dead body. Moreover, it was not in his handwriting nor was it signed by him. How can one accept it as a death note?”
The Minister denied ever seeing Santosh Patil. “He claimed to have met me 80 times. But, I have never seen him. He must have clicked some photos with me, as many people do,” he said. He asked journalists why he should resign. “There is no reason for my resignation,” he said.
