Eshwarappa resigns after being charged with abetment of suicide case

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, April 14, 2022: Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa said on Thursday that he would be resigning as a minister as a political furore erupted after the alleged suicide of contract Santosh Patil, who had accused him of corruption.

The senior BJP leader said he will submit his resignation on Friday as he “doesn’t want the party to be in trouble".

“Maa Chamundeshwari will prove me innocent. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he will investigate this matter thoroughly. If I am wrong then let God punish me. Those guilty must be punished. I will come back after a clean chit. I didn’t want the party to be embarrassed. I have discussed this with the CM. Tomorrow evening, I will meet the CM and hand over my resignation," Eshwarappa, who is a state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister, said while addressing a presser.

Speaking on the same, Bommai said, “He (Eshwarappa) spoke to me in the evening. He has taken this decision after a lot of deliberation. He didn’t want to give the opposition a chance to talk about the government or cause embarrassment to the party. There was no pressure from the high command."

Patil, a Belagavi-based contractor was found dead in a Udupi hotel on Tuesday, weeks after accusing Eshwarappa of corruption. In a purported suicide note in the form of a WhatsApp message, Patil has blamed Eshwarappa for his death. Based on a complaint filed by Patil’s relative, Udupi town police have booked Eshwarappa for abetting the suicide.