Bengaluru: The alleged suicide by Karnataka Legislative Council deputy chairman S L Dharmegowda has stirred a political storm in the state. His body was recovered from near a railway track in Chikkamagaluru's Kadur taluk Tuesday.
In a planned move, Dharmegowda asked his official gunman and escort to leave him alone and then left his home in Chikkamagaluru in his personal car. He reached Gunasagar in Kadur taluk on Monday evening and asked the driver to leave him since he had to meet someone.
After that he went missing. After his family alerted authorities, a search party found Dharmegowda's body near a railway track at around 1 am Tuesday.
But what created a stir was when Dharmegowda's brother Bhojegowda, also an MLC from Chikkamagaluru, said that his brother was depressed and distressed about the recent incident at the Legislative Council where he was manhandled by Congress members.
A ruckus broke out when the ruling BJP and JD(S) wanted to take up a no-confidence motion against Council Chairman Prathapchandra Shetty. Dharmegowda was in the chair and he was pushed and shoved by angry Congress members who insisted that only the Chairman can preside over the House.
After that he was depressed and sounded down whenever he spoke to reporters.
However, the police stated that they have recovered a death note that suggested that it was a case of suicide.
JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said Dharmegowda was like a brother to him. "His death has caused a shock to me. He was an upright politician," Kumaraswamy said in a tweet.
