Prashant K. Patil, elder brother of Santosh K. Patil, the civil contractor and BJP worker who was found dead in Udupi, has demanded the immediate arrest of K.S. Eshwarappa, RDPR Minister, saying the Minister’s “corrupt ways” had led to his brother’s death.
“We will not carry out the last rites of my brother till Mr. Eshwarappa is arrested,’’ Mr. Prashant told journalists in Belagavi on Tuesday. He alleged that Mr. Eshwarappa had sought 40% commission from Santosh and that the Minister “tortured” his brother by filing defamation cases after he went public with the allegations.
Mr. Prashant, who came to the police station at Belagavi camp to lodge a missing complaint about his brother, was shocked to know that his brother’s body was found in a hotel in Udupi. “My brother took loans to take up civil contracts. He invested ₹4 crore in civil works in Hindalaga village. But the Minister refused to clear his bills. The Minister wanted bribes to settle the bills. Even an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not help us,’’ he said. He said Santosh must have visited New Delhi and Bengaluru several hundred times. “We are shocked that a dedicated BJP worker did not get justice in the BJP Government,’’ Mr. Prashant said.
