Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah detained at protest seeking minister Eshwarappa's ouster over contractor death

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, and others were detained by the city police on Thursday, 14 April, after they were stopped from marching towards Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence to demand Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappas's resignation in connection with contractor Santhosh Patil's death.

The police had to resort to the use of force to disperse the demonstrators.

Patil had accused Eshwarappa of corruption but was found dead in Udupi on Tuesday. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on the charge of abetment to suicide on Wednesday.

Addressing a joint press conference with former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar said, "We will go to Belagavi and meet Santosh Patil's family. The post-mortem has been delayed, we don't know the reason why. An FIR has been filed, and now the Minister (Eshwarappa) has to be arrested. A corruption case must also be slapped against him." "He is also a murderer, what he has done is abetment to suicide. The family members have said it," he added.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappa on Wednesday ruled out resigning from the cabinet amid the opposition's demand for his resignation and arrest over a case related to the death of a contractor.