Karnataka Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, and others were detained on Thursday after police stopped them from marching towards Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence in view of their demand for Karnataka Minister KS Eshwarappas's resignation in connection with contractor Santosh Patil's death.
Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said that a corruption case must be registered against Minister KS Eshwarappa for allegedly demanding commission from deceased contractor Santosh Patil.
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.
"There is no question of me resigning from the post of Minister because of any reason. I have informed CM Bommai and the party president that there is no question of me resigning as a minister," said KS Eshwarappa, Karnataka Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, reported news agency ANI.
A case has been registered against Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) minister K S Eshwarappa for abetment of suicide in connection with the death of a civil contractor.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint from Prashanth Patil, brother of Santhosh Patil, who had levelled bribery charges against the senior minister earlier. Patil was found dead at a lodge in Udupi in a case of suspected suicide.
The complaint by Prashanth named minister Eshwarappa and his staff members Ramesh and Basavaraj as the accused.
In the complaint, Prashanth Patil contented his brother had undertaken works worth Rs 4 crore in Hindalaga village. Santhosh had invested his money in the project and the bill for the work was pending.
Santhosh had visited minister Eshwarappa several times and had pleaded him to release the amount. But his close aid Basavaraj and Ramesh were demanding 40 percent commission, the complaint alleged.
Patil's death had on Tuesday triggered a major political row with the Congress demanding the ouster of Eshwarappa even as its senior leader Rahul Gandhi had targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai over the issue.
(With inputs from Agencies)
