Contractor who accused Karnataka Minister of corruption is missing

Santosh Patil had written to PM accusing the RDPR Minister of lies and corruption

Belagavi police have launched a search for a contractor and BJP leader, who had accused Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister K.S. Eshwarappa of corruption, after he sent a message to his friends that he had decided to end his life.

The contractor, Santosh Patil, sent a message to his friends on April 11 saying Mr. Eshwarappa was ‘directly responsible’ for his death, and that the Minister should be punished.

“I am going on a journey of no return. I have taken this decision after suppressing all my wants and desires. I have brought some friends with me, after lying to them that we are going on a picnic. But they are not responsible for my death,’’ he said in the message. “I thank all my friends I also thank the journalists for highlighting my problems,’’ he wrote, according to the police.

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to protect his wife and child. “I request Mr. Yediyurappa, a senior leader of the Lingayat community, and anyone who can help my family, to help them out,’’ he wrote.

A team of officers went to his home in Hindalaga village and spoke to his family. His wife said that she only knew that he was going out for a picnic with his friends Santosh and Prashant on April 11 evening. “He often does that, and I did not think this time was any different,” she told the police.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Patil wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he had invested ₹4 crore on building roads in his village based on oral instructions of Mr. Eshwarappa. He accused the Minister of lies, corruption and irregularities, and urged Mr. Modi to direct Mr. Eshwarappa to settle his bills.