Contractor death: Police book case against Minister Priyank Kharge's aide, others

Kalaburagi, PTI: A case has been registered against the close aide of Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, Raju Kapanur and five others in connection with hatching a conspiracy to kill BJP MLA Basavaraj Mattimadu and other leaders, police said on Sunday. The case was registered based on a suicide note by a civil contractor, Sachin Panchal, who had mentioned that the Congress leaders had connived to kill Mattimadu, Siddalinga Swami of Andola Math, BJP leaders Manikanth Rathod and Chandu Patil.

Panchal, a contractor from Bidar, allegedly ended his life by lying down in front of an approaching train on Thursday. In his suicide note, he had accused Kapanur and his aides of making death threats. Meanwhile, the Bidar District-In Charge Minister, Eshwar Khandre, who holds the forest portfolio, visited Panchal's residence in Bhalki Taluk. As soon as the officials visited the house, the angry family members shouted at them to go away as they held them responsible for Panchal's death. Khandre consoled and assured them that action would be taken against the accused persons involved in the death. "The government will ensure that justice is done, and the accused persons are punished. Government is with you," the minister told the inconsolable family members. Later, the minister announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of Panchal. "I spoke to the family members who complained to me that the police refused to register a case. I have spoken to senior police officials.

Action has been taken against a few policemen," he added. Khandre said the Government Railway Police (GRP) is probing the suicide case and the government would also consider handing over the investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The BJP has taken the case seriously. It has demanded that the case should be handed over to the CBI. "The death note written by Panchal, a contractor from Bidar who committed suicide due to harassment by Minister @PriyankKharge's right-hand man, Raju, reveals alarming and serious information that he had given ‘Supari' (contract killing) to kill our MLA Basavaraj Mattimadu, BJP leaders Chandu Patil, Manikantha Rathod and Andola Swami," the party's state president B Y Vijayendra said in a statement.

Vijayendra and senior BJP functionaries on Sunday evening visited Panchal's residence and spoke to the family members. Priyank Kharge, who is the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, hit out at the BJP for making baseless allegations against him and politicising Panchal's death. He said nowhere in Panchal's death note is his name mentioned, and added that there were financial transactions between Panchal and Kapanur which need to be investigated. Amid mounting pressure, Priyank Kharge met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence ‘Cauvery' in Bengaluru. "Priyank Kharge had a discussion with the chief minister for about 10 minutes. The details of the discussion are not known," sources close to the minister Said.