‘Deceased wasn’t member of state contractor’s body’
Family disputes claims that a 26-year-old contractor who died by suicide was unlicensed, alleging neglect of evidence in the investigation.
The state contractors’ association on Thursday said that the 26-year-old contractor who died allegedly by suicide was not a licensed contractor. The allegation was rejected by the deceased’s family.
The case revolves around the suicide of 26-year-old contractor in Bidar on December 26. The police had recovered a seven-page suicide note from his possession. In the letter, he allegedly accused Raju Kapanur, reportedly a close associate of Kharge, of threatening to kill him and demanding ₹1 crore for awarding a contract. He also alleged that he was cheated by seven others who took ₹15 lakh as a bribe but failed to fulfil their promises.
Amid the controversy, the state contractors’ association president Jagannath Shegaji said: “The deceased did not have any contracts or even a licence. He could only be considered a contractor if he possesses a registered licence under the PWD in Bengaluru.” Shegaji added that inquiries with chief engineers in Dharwad and Kalaburagi yielded no records of his registration, pending bills, or tenders.
In response to the allegations, the sister of the deceased accused authorities of deliberately neglecting evidence and protecting those named in the suicide note. “Today, they are claiming he is not a contractor. Tomorrow, they may even say he never existed. The details are clearly specified in the death note. Instead of questioning the accused, the police are questioning us,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}In response to the allegations, the sister of the deceased accused authorities of deliberately neglecting evidence and protecting those named in the suicide note. “Today, they are claiming he is not a contractor. Tomorrow, they may even say he never existed. The details are clearly specified in the death note. Instead of questioning the accused, the police are questioning us,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}She also alleged that critical evidence, including documents from the Kalaburagi office and his brother’s iPhone, had been ignored or destroyed. “My brother had an iPhone, and he mentioned in the note that it was taken from him. The police haven’t bothered to investigate,” she said.
She also expressed her family’s frustration with the government’s lack of communication about the investigation. “Not a single update has been given seven days after he ended his life. We have come to know that they are trying to hush up the case,” she said.
She said: “The authorities have not updated us on whether they got the postmortem or Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports. As there is absolutely no update, how are we supposed to trust the government? We will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is no other option left for us.” She demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI, stating, “There is no trust left in this government.”
The BJP has alleged that Raju Kapanur’s proximity to minister Priyank Kharge is central to the case and has set a January 4 deadline for the state government to hand over the investigation to the CBI. The party has also announced plans for a large-scale protest in Kalaburagi on the same day, where they intend to surround Kharge’s house. “We demand his resignation and will escalate our protests if necessary. Legal options are also being considered,” said BJP state general secretary P Rajeev.
Kharge, the state’s rural development and panchayat raj minister, has dismissed the accusations, asserting that the deceased was neither a registered contractor nor directly involved with government projects. “The government is being drawn into a transaction between two people. This is part of a campaign of lies,” he said at a press conference on Thursday. He added that forthcoming documents would expose the BJP, stating, “When these documents emerge, the BJP will definitely be left red-faced.”
Kharge further accused the BJP of attempting to malign Congress leaders to secure his resignation, describing the party’s actions as a desperate effort to fix political opponents “by hook or crook.”
Meanwhile, the BJP has amplified its protests, launching a poster campaign targeting Kharge. After starting in Bengaluru, the campaign spread to Mandya, with BJP workers accusing the Congress government of harassing contractors and demanding Kharge’s resignation.
Kharge responded by filing defamation petitions against BJP state president BY Vijayendra, general secretary P Rajeev, and former MLC Ganesh Karnik, accusing them of making baseless allegations.
