Congress leaders among 35 booked for protests in Karnataka

On April 14, Congress launched protests in Bengaluru demanding former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa’s arrest over the alleged suicide by contractor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Santosh Patil, even as the chief minister said they had no “moral right” to demonstrate.

Bengaluru police have booked senior Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, Karnataka party president DK Shivakumar and national general secretary Randeep Surjewala, among others, for protesting outside chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s residence last week, officials said on Monday.

Bengaluru police have booked senior Congress leaders for demanding the arrest of former Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa. (PTI)

On April 14, Congress launched protests in Bengaluru demanding the KS Eshwarappa’s arrest over the alleged suicide by contractor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Santosh Patil, even as the chief minister said they had no “moral right” to demonstrate.

DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and other Congress leaders were also briefly detained, after which they held an overnight protest outside the Vidhan Soudha.

According to police, cases were filed against the agitators under Section 103 of the Karnataka Police Act (the penalty for contravention of orders), Section 341 (wrongful restraint), and 143 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Eshwarappa has been accused of abetting Patil’s suicide. He was found dead in Udupi last Tuesday, and in his purported suicide note, Patil blamed the BJP leader and two of his aides “directly”, accusing him of asking 40 per cent commission.

“The police had arrested us en route to CM Bommai’s residence, and they were released later. Now they have lodged an FIR. Former minister Eshwarappa violated prohibitory orders to carry out protest marches and staged protests. Why is there no case on him?” Shivakumar said.

“Why has CM Bommai not ordered to lodge cases on those who recited Hindu prayers in a church? Muslim vendors were troubled in fares, no cases on them. Instead, CM Bommai is asking what is wrong with moral policing. CM Bommai is supporting moral policing in the state,” he said.

Karnataka police on Saturday had formed seven teams to investigate the alleged suicide of the contractor. “In the Santosh Patil case, some directions have been given. Under SPs’ (superintendent of police) leadership, seven investigation teams have been formed and sent to different parts of the state. We will conduct the investigation comprehensively and take it forward,” Prathap Reddy, the additional director general of police (law & order), said in Udupi.

A day before his body was found, a suicide note was sent by Patil as a WhatsApp message to his associates and a section of the media, holding Eshwarappa responsible.