Not bothered about KS Eshwarappa's resignation, want arrest, says deceased contractor's brother

Belagavi, Apr 14: The family of contractor Santosh Patil, who allegedly died by suicide, said on Thursday that they are not bothered about the resignation of Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K S Eshwarappa against whom police have booked a case for abetting the suicide and demanded his arrest.

This evening, Eshwarappa announced his resignation as Minister, as a political furore erupted. He would be submitting the resignation letter to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday. "...three names are mentioned in the FIR as A1, A2, A3- the police department is investigating and they will have to arrest the three...we want arrest, we have never asked for resignation. Resignation is left to the government and him (Eshwarappa). We want the arrest of the accused persons," Santosh Patil's brother Prashant Patil told reporters here.

Reacting to Eshwarappa's resignation, he said the family is not bothered about it. "...what my brother had mentioned in the WhatsApp message, same thing I had mentioned in my complaint, and all the three accused mentioned in the FIR must be arrested," he added.

Santosh Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor, was found dead at a hotel in Udupi on Tuesday, weeks after accusing Eshwarappa, who is also a senior BJP leader, of corruption. In a purported suicide note in the form of a WhatsApp message, Patil had blamed Eshwarappa for his death. Based on a complaint from Patil's relative, Udupi town police booked Eshwarappa for abetting the suicide.

The FIR lists Eshwarappa, his aides Basavaraj and Ramesh as A1 (accused number 1), A2 and A3 respectively. Prashant Patil also demanded the payment of the bill for the developmental work undertaken by his brother, compensation and a government job to his widow.

Santosh Patil had last month complained to Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh stating that he was yet to be paid Rs 4 crore for road works undertaken in the Hindalga village, and had accused Eshwarappa’s aides of demanding commission for the payment. PTI